Produced by Coleman Hodges.
Reported by Mitch Bowmile.
If there was ever a doubt in anyone’s mind that Phelps would return to the 200m butterfly and rock it, Phelps proved them wrong with an incredible 1:52.94 performance.
That’s the fastest time in the world this year. That’s faster than he was at the 2012 London Olympic Games. That’s the first national title Phelps has won since the 2012 Olympic Trials.
Phelps went off to his winning ways in the event early, taking the lead right from the get-go and never relinquishing it. At the touch, he finished well ahead of all his competitors with the closest being Jack Conger in 1:54.54.
Conger came back hard on Phelps towards the end in order to put up the seventh fastest time in the world this year. Both Conger and Phelps were well ahead of bronze medallist Clark Pace who ended up finishing over three second behind Conger, and almost five behind Phelps with a 1:57.83.