Who says you can’t go back? Tyler Clary, that’s who.
After Phelps took back his committment to eliminate the 400 IM from his schedule, he decided he would give it one last shot at Pan Pacs, just to see where he was at headed into World’s next year. After swimming a 4:15, 6 seconds behind Tyler Clary’s 4:09 in prelims, Phelps will be out of the A-final in the 400 IM as the 3rd seeded American.
I imagine that this swim will put to rest his experimentations with the 400 IM for now. Or, it could snap him back to attention and challenge him to regain his status as the best in the world in that event (a title, which, for now, Ryan Lochte has an absolute stranglehold on).
Either way, this could be a blessing in disguise. Don’t be surprised if Phelps decides to scratch the 400 IM in finals to focus on his leadoff leg of the 800 free relay and topping Lochte’s 1:45.30 in that event yesterday.