Fifteen-year-old Michael Phelps became the youngest American man ever to set a world swimming record with a stunning victory in the 200-meter butterfly over Olympic champion and former record holder Tom Malchow at the U.S. nationalchampionships in Texas yesterday.
With an amazing late burst of speed the 6-foot-4 (1.93 m) teenager, who swims for the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, finished in one minute 54.92seconds, eclipsing the world record of 1:55.18 set by Malchow last June in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Malchow finished second in 1:55.46.
Phelps' record-shattering performance came on the fourth night of competition at the meeting which, in addition to deciding national titles, servesas the U.S. team qualifying event the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July.
The top two finishers in each final qualify for the U.S. squad, so spectators in Japan can look forward to another head-to-head clash between theOlympic champion and the new world record holder.
Malchow, ahead from the start, made the final turn more than four tenths of a second ahead of Phelps. He was still in front through 175 meters when Phelps turned on the jets over the last 25 meters, powering his way past the Sydney gold medalist and taking his world mark in the process.
Phelps said after the race that his goal coming into the meeting was to break the world mark. But he admitted that when he looked at the scoreboard and saw his time, "I was so excited, I felt like my whole body stopped."
In a reminder that America's newest swimming sensation is just 15 years of age, he told reporters that the first thing he did after the race was call his mom. -Reuters