Michael Phelps: Overview of his performance at the 2011 World Championships – Part 8
With his gold winning swim, Lochte became the first swimmer to improve the world record at the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) scheduled 2011 World Championships in Shanghai.
In addition, with his splendid effort, Lochte not only shattered the world record but also smashed hopes of Phelps’s supporters, as he edged him out on the concluding wall with a margin of only 0.06 seconds. Phelps, who qualified as the second fastest swimmer
into the final rounds, was unable to move himself up to the first spot and sustained his second position in the final by submitting a time of 1 minute and 54.16 seconds for silver medal.
Phelps’s fabulous effort placed him 3.53 seconds ahead of his following swimmer, Laszlo Cseh of Hungary, who followed him on the podium for the bronze medal with a timing of 1 minute and 57.69 seconds.
After displaying sluggish swims in the 2011 season, the crowd was not expecting such a ferocious battle from Phelps against the title holder, Lochte, but his aggressive swimming strategy thrilled everyone in the aquatic arena. Furthermore, Phelps was also
satisfied with his silver claiming effort, as he was just a touch away from the new world record holder.
In the meantime, all participating teams sent their 4*200m freestyle squads to compete in the preliminary rounds of the relay event, where the top-eight teams were allowed to enter the final rounds. The American team decided to give rest to their top swimmers,
Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte for the preliminary session.
Despite the absence of USA’s best freestyle swimmers, the American relay team was the first one to finish their distant freestyle relay swim, as they posted a combined effort of 7 minutes and 08.84 seconds to top the qualification table for the final rounds.
The American relay squad comprised of David Walters, Conor Dwyer, Richard Berens and Peter Vanderkaay.
The relay squad of USA was trailed by Japan's team, which remained almost two seconds slower than them and posted a second finest time of 7 minutes and 10.46 seconds for the second qualification. The Japanese were chased by the French and Australian squads,
who concluded their swims in third and fourth qualifying positions with timings of 7:11.60 and 7:11.80 minutes, respectively. The stupendous performance of America's team without any help from their top freestyle swimmers stunned the Shanghai aquatic centre.
After a while in the final of 4*200m freestyle discipline, Walters and Dwyer were replaced by Phelps and Lochte, where Phelps being the second fastest swimmer of USA, was the first-leg of the American team. USA clinched the gold medal of the relay event
by submitting a time of 7 minutes and 02.67 seconds. They were trailed by France and China, who occupied second and third positions of the event, by posting timings of 7:04.81 and 7:05.67 minutes, respectively.
In addition, with his noteworthy swim in the 4*200m freestyle, Phelps captured his second gold and fifth medal of the world championships.
Continued in Part 9
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