Great expectations

Athens looms for Phelps after world triumphs

BARCELONA (Reuters) -- Michael Phelps astonished all at the world championships, breaking five world records and flattering the fancy that he might emulate Mark Spitz and win seven gold medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Spitz himself claimed four world records at the 1972 Munich Olympics, but, even if Phelps surpassed that number, he will be under no illusion about the enormous scale of the undertaking.

The 18-year-old from Baltimore had his golden run in Barcelona halted by fellow American Ian Crocker just when he was looking invincible.

Crocker snatched the newly minted 100 meters butterfly world record and the title from Phelps and, with that, a spot in the U.S. medley relay squad, which meant one more gold and another world record were denied the young master.

Phelps thrilled the thousands in the Palau Sant Jordi with his world records in the 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley (two), 100 butterfly and 400 individual medley and victories in all but the 100 butterfly.

The latter's defeat showed how unpredictable the golden numbers game can be.

Seven golds in Athens would be a tougher assignment than seven were for Spitz because back in 1972 the United States were so far ahead of the rest that three relay golds were virtually there for the taking. But Phelps is not too bothered.

"I think for me I'm doing what I love to do. If everything goes as well as I hope... then maybe I could go after Mark Spitz's accomplishment but I think as a person all I'm interested in is giving it everything," he said.

Thorpe record

Ian Thorpe's Australia maintained its superiority in the 4x200 freestyle and Alexander Popov's Russia won the 4x100 freestyle, leaving a Phelps-less U.S. quartet with the medley.

Thorpe has hitherto been seen as the main challenger to Spitz's seven-gold feat, ever since he won a record six world titles in Fukuoka in 2001, having become at 15 in 1998 the youngest men's world champion in history.

The Australian once again asserted his dominance in the 200 and 400 freestyle, administering a second successive comprehensive world championship defeat on his Olympic conqueror Pieter van den Hoogenband in the 200.

He became the first swimmer to win a world title in the same event three times when he retained his 400 crown. He won a further gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay.

But his decision to drop the non-Olympic 800 freestyle and take up the 200 individual medley instead foundered against Phelps.

Thorpe was also beaten into third place in the 100 freestyle, won by a revitalised Popov, who ended up with three golds, a silver and a bronze to take his aggregate world medal haul to 13 and equal the men's record of Germany's Michael Gross.

Popular Popov

The 31-year-old Popov was the most popular winner in Barcelona, achieving the golden sprint double in the 50 and 100 freestyle nine years after he did the same at the 1994 Rome world championships.

Van den Hoogenband, who deposed Popov as Olympic 100 freestyle champion in 2000, struggled to throw off the effects of food poisoning two weeks before the championships and managed only bronze in the 50 and silver in the 100 and 200.

Teammate Inge de Bruijn, triple Olympic champion, retained her 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly titles but swam only the two one-length races.

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima laid down an early warning that he will be the man to beat in Athens by breaking the 100 and 200 breaststroke world records in emphatic victories, while Australia's Grant Hackett remained in a class of his own in achieving his third successive 1500 freestyle world title.

The United States re-established itself as No. 1 nation, turning the tables on Australia to win the title battle by 11 golds to six.

 

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