Phelps Sets World Record in Butterfly

[JonLP24]

INDIANAPOLIS, July 9 -- There has been one swimmer, and only one, who has been able to lord over Michael Phelps, and that's a sweet old guy from Maine by the name of Ian Crocker. The now-retired Crocker, soft spoken and into his guitar, hated being Phelps's nemesis, the bad guy.

But that's exactly what he became by virtue of the fact he could kick Phelps's rear, quite routinely, in one event, the 100-meter butterfly. Phelps taped Crocker's picture on his bedroom wall for motivation six years ago, after Crocker set the 100 fly world record.

Crocker had held the record since -- until Thursday, that is.

Phelps finally demolished the mark at the U.S. swimming championships by winning the 100 fly final in 50.22 seconds -- 0.18 better than the 50.40 that has stood up since Crocker last set the record in 2005.

"It was big," Phelps, 24, said. "It was something I really, really wanted to accomplish. Crock and I had a lot of great history, a lot of great races. . . . I've wanted that record ever since he took it at the 2003 worlds."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070902649.html

[steven johnson]

1. Now Phelps has 5 world records

Cool!

Phelps holds world records in the 100 and 200 flys, 200 and 400 individual medleys, and the 200 free.

Phelps Breaks World Record in Butterfly