Michael Phelps: Overview of his performance at the 2011 World Championships – Part 9
With his fifth medal on the sixth day of the World Championships, Phelps joined the league of those shining stars who earned more medals than their fellow competitors. With his tremendous swimming skills in respective events, Phelps managed to remain in the media's spotlight and conveyed a promising message to his fans that he has more to demonstrate in his remaining two meets.
After the sixth day of the competition, everyone acknowledged excellent swims of Phelps and Lochte in the 200m freestyle relay, which enabled USA to conquer the gold medal of the event in a comfortable manner. Phelps’s strong 1 minute and 45.53 seconds finish and Lochte’s 1 minute and 44.56 seconds effort in the relay event paved way for USA's team to win the gold medal of the event.
In addition, their swims were accompanied by Peter Vanderkaay and Richard Berens, who were the second and third swimmers of USA's relay team and ended their 200 metres of the race with timings of 1:46.07 and 1:46.51 minutes, respectively.
After the relay event was the Men’s 100m butterfly meet, which was going to be Phelps’s sixth participation at the championship. Everyone was confident of Phelps’s gold finish in the two-lap butterfly event, as he has remained undisputed in the 100m event.
In the preliminary rounds of the 100m butterfly, Phelps occupied the fifth fastest qualification spot to enter the semi-finals. Phelps’s team-member, Tyler McGill earned top finest spot in the semi-finals by submitting a time of 51.76 seconds. McGill was chased by Takuro Fujii of Japan, who remained evident for the second best qualification spot and entered the semi-finals, with a timing of 51.82 seconds.
The third fastest seat was secured by Geoff Huegill of Australia, who remained only 0.01 seconds behind Fujii and clocked a time of 51.83 seconds. Jason Dunford of Kenya emerged as the fourth fastest finisher to proceed into the second round, as he posted a time of 51.87 seconds, while Phelps claimed the fifth fastest berth with a timing of 51.95 seconds.
The tables turned in the semi-finals of 100m butterfly, as Phelps dominated the second round and acquired fastest qualification spot into the final, with a timing of 51.47 seconds. His time was nearly two seconds above his own world mark of 49.82 seconds, set by Phelps at the 2009 Rome World Championships.
Nonetheless, he was trailed by Konrad Czerniak of Poland, who remained 0.07 seconds behind him and entered the final round with a second fastest time of 51.54 seconds. McGill, who was the fastest swimmer to enter the semi-finals, failed to sustain his position and ended third behind Czerniak, by producing a time of 51.56 seconds. Similarly, Fujii obtained the fourth fastest qualification spot of the event, as he completed his two-lap sprint in a time of 51.69 seconds.
Everyone was delighted with Phelps' overpowering effort in the butterfly discipline, whereas, he was only step away from claiming the gold medal of the event and exceeding the expectations of his fans. Furthermore, his followers were also impressed with Phelps’s dominating swim and could not wait to see him compete in the final round.
Continued in part 10
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