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[PHOTO BY ANDREW WEBER, US PRESSWIRE]
EVENT-BY-EVENT PREVIEW: MEN’S SWIMMING » Ryan Lochte (left) and Michael Phelps, USA
200 Meter Individual Medley
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Reigning Champion: Michael Phelps, USA Past Champions: Charles Hickcox (1968), Gunnar Larsson (1972), Alex Baumann (1984), BY JOHN Tamas Darnyi (1988), Tamas Darnyi (1992), Attila Czene (1996), Massimiliano Rosolino (2000), Michael Phelps (2004), Michael Phelps (2008) World Record: Ryan Lochte, USA, 1:54.00 Notable: When Ryan Lochte clocked 1:54.00 at the World Championships in Shanghai last summer, he became the first individual to take down one of the high-tech suit records. Finishing behind Lochte in that race was Michael Phelps, who checked in with a personal-best 1:54.16. THE HEADLINERS The top two positions in this event are pretty much locked up by Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. The question is: “Which man will emerge victorious?” While Phelps is the two-time defending Olympic champion, Lochte owns the world record and has prevailed at the past two World Championships. The duel between these two should be one of the highlights of the Olympic Games. If there is a reason to give the advantage to Phelps, it has everything to do with Lochte’s schedule. About 20 minutes before the final of the 200 IM, Lochte will contest the final of the 200 back. That’s a quick turn-
around even for Lochte, who has long showed the ability to handle a difficult double. Laszlo Cseh, the silver medalist in the 200 IM at the Beijing Games, will certainly be a factor in the medal LOHN hunt. Despite a subpar meet last year at the World Championships, the Hungarian finished third. In the battle for bronze in London, Cseh will be fighting it out with a number of athletes, including Brazil’s Thiago Pereira and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, a rising star. Great Britain’s fans will put their support behind the duo of James Goddard and Joseph Roebuck, who both cracked 1:58.50 at the British Trials. Austria’s Markus Rogan, a longtime fixture on the international scene, was fifth at Worlds. South Africa’s Chad Le Clos and Darian Townsend warrant watching. WHAT ELSE? How much quicker will Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte be than the rest of the field? At last summer’s World Championships, Laszlo Cseh was more than three seconds behind his rivals. Look for the winner to be in the 1:53-mid range, if not faster. SWIMMING WORLD’S PICKS Gold: Michael Phelps, USA Silver: Ryan Lochte, USA Bronze: Laszlo Cseh, HUN ❖ Olympic Preview
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