15-Year-Old Makes Olympic Swim Team
I N D I A N A P O L I S, Aug. 12, 2000 -- Michael Phelps seems to be your normal15-year-old. He likes hanging out with friends, playing video gamesand listening to rap music.
Well, now he’s got to make time for the Olympics.
The Baltimore teenager became the youngest male swimmer in 68years to make the American team, heading to Sydney after finishingsecond to world-record holder Tom Malchow in the 200-meterbutterfly tonight.
“Phelps is awesome,” said Malchow, 23, of Ann Arbor, Mich. “Imight have retired a little sooner with someone like that comingup. He didn’t get caught up in the hype, which is a credit to him.He stuck to his game plan.”
Faded Down Stretch
Malchow was on pace at the selection trials to break his ownworld record before fading badly in the final 50 meters. The crowdat the Indiana University Natatorium groaned in disappointment.
There has yet to be a world record at the halfway point of theeight-day games, but Malchow accomplished his main goal by makingthe Olympic team. His winning time of 1 minute, 56.87 seconds was1.69 off the mark he set June 17 in Charlotte, N.C.
“Everybody was expecting to see a world record,” Malchow said.“I was trying to provide one, but I got a little too caught up init. At times, it’s a lot hanging on my head.”
Youngest Member Since 1932
Closing fast, Phelps touched at 1:57.48 to earn the secondOlympic berth. He becomes the youngest member of the men’s teamsince 13-year-old Ralph Flanagan competed in the 1932 Los AngelesGames.
Flanagan didn’t finish his race, the 1,500 freestyle. He bouncedback to make the team again four years later, competing in threeevents in Berlin and winning a silver as part of the 800 freestylerelay.
Phelps, who turned 15 on June 30, actually made this year’s teamwith ease, cruising away from Jeff Somensatto (1:58.07).
“He doesn’t know what it means to go to the Olympics and howit’s going to change his life,” said Malchow, a silver medalistand youngest man on the American team in 1996. “He’s going to findout soon.”
Overwhelmed Teen
Phelps got a taste of it tonight, attending the firstnews conference of his life. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by thewhole affair.
“I thought I saw second next to my name,” he said. “I wasn’tsure, so I had to take my goggles off to check it out.”
The Phelps family is used to accomplishing big things at a youngage. Sister Whitney was only 14 when she made the American team forthe 1994 world championships. Two years later, she failed toqualify for the Olympic team.
This time, Whitney was on hand at the trials to cheer for herbrother, who has grown 4 inches since January to 6-foot-3. She wasone of the first people to hug Phelps after he left the water.
Teuscher Rolls
Cristina Teuscher of New York, who won gold in the Atlanta Gameson a relay, dominated the women’s 200 individual medley, reachingthe finish in 2:13.36 to beat runner-up Gabrielle Rose (2:14.95) bynearly two seconds.
Rose made her second straight Olympic team—with two differentcountries. She represented Brazil in 1996 but is now an Americancitizen living in Memphis, Tenn.
Lindsay Benko of Los Angeles captured the night’s other final,the women’s 200 freestyle. She swam 2:00.45 to edge Rada Owen ofChesterfield, Va., who claimed the second spot at 2:00.54 over afading Samantha Arsenault of Peabody, Mass.
“It wasn’t my best time, but I got my hand on the wall first,”Benko said. “I wish everybody could feel what I’m feeling now.”
Arsenault, who had the fastest time Friday in both thepreliminaries and semifinals, had her slowest time (2:00.79) ofthose three races. She will still go to Sydney for the relays.