According to an article today from the Associated Press, Michael Phelps has entered the 100 fly and the 200 free for the Charlotte Grand Prix meet, which runs from May 15th-18th in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This will be Phelps’ second meet back, after a successful Mesa Grand Prix following 18 months out of competition. In Mesa, he swam the 100 fly, where he placed 2nd in a top-5-in-the-world time, and the 50 free prelims, where he actually swam butterfly and didn’t final.
For Charlotte, Phelps won’t play the 50 fly game, and instead will shoot for a 100 fly/200 free double, according to his coach Bob Bowman.
“We were encouraged by his performances in Mesa and look forward to trying a 200 in Charlotte,” Bowman said in a text message to the AP.
The 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle both come on the second day of the meet in Charlotte (it’s a four-day meet, as compared to Mesa), so those hoping to grab tickets to see Phelps will have to shoot for Friday’s finals session.
Fly: 51.9
Free: 1.48.5…
MP 100 Fly: 51.6
MP 200 Free: 1:47.4
WAIT!! Did not someone say “mark my words, Phelps will swim the 200 free……..” yada yada? Who was it? Fess up!
Angel is swimming Charlotte too apparently….
Mel, remember the ‘race of the century’200 free at Athens 04? It would be hard to find 3 better swimmers in one race than MP, Thorpe and PVDH but look at the mouth-watering prospect of Phelps, lochte, Cameron McEvoy and Agnel? even if MP doesn’t swim the 200 free at worlds or in Rio i think the other 3 will provide an equally good race of the century. McEvoy is looking to be a gold medal prospect in both the 100 and 200 free
Locthe?
He won´t be a medal contender.. remember there are Sun and Park too on the same race..
Lochte will be if he drops the 400IM and maybe 200 back. Anyway I reckon mcEvoy (19) will be hard to beat. saw his mid 47 swim in aussie champs to beat JM in the 100 free…bloody impressive
I have to agree here BUT let’s see how they replicate all that in Pan Pacs with loaded Japanese and Usa squad .
But anyway
Considerind those guys you put on the mix and not putting Sun and Park is strange.. Sun has 1:44:47 as his best and the best split ever on textile..
I would bet on Agnel Sun and Mcevoy. on that excatly order.. betting Sun by 2016 will go for shorter races to tackle Thorpe 400 to a 3:38
And to add.. there is also Horton for 2016 who could put up something good..
Hmm… Phelps could probably swim the 200 free individually in rio if he wanted to. He showed us in 2004 he wasn’t scared of the competition. Or he could just swim the relay where he is much needed against Australia. Personally I don’t think he has given up on the 200 fly. He is not one to back down, even against Le Clos. But he should swim what he wants to swim and have fun doing it
I might be misremembering, but I swear I saw an interview at Mesa where Katie Hoff mentioned not swimming at any more Grand Prix meets because they were all full or something?
If so – how he get there.
I don’t recall hearing that about the GP meets, but seriously, this is Michael Phelps we are talking about here. While it may not be fair to everyone else, based on what he’s accomplished, if he wants in, it’s done. The meet and swimming are both better for it.
Steve, I believe that he can get in the meet even after the meet has filled up because he was ranked in the top 50 in the world in an event in the previous 24 months.
…Steve, Joe, Phelps/Bowman have a long-term relationship with the Charlotte GP (formerly known as the Ultraswim). They knew about his return to competition well before we (or anyone else) reported the comeback…. Moreover, except for the Austin GP in 2013, I’ve never seen a GP that wasn’t flush with swimmers. If elites need to compete in a USA Swimming GP, they compete…that’s why USAs provides the platform.
Steve – according to Bowman, they entered these meets back in December (which is his explanation for why they had the Mesa event schedule they did – he might have done differently otherwise).
Up until the entry deadline, any athlete ranked in the top 50 in the world in one or more individual events during the previous 24 month period is eligible. The entry deadline is tonight at 11:59. Phelps now ranks in the top 50 in the world, and as does Hoff, so either could enter if they so chose.
Hoff may have been unaware in that interview, or they may have had other reasons for not entering.
I think The Hoff meant the hotels in Charlotte were all booked up and Santa Clara was too far away.
Are things still very much like donkey kong? Ha ha.
Makes sense, everybody! Y’all the best.
Hmm, would’ve thought he’d swim the 100 free before the 200.