2006.06.23.       

Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin gave a hint of the firepower on the way at US Nationals and Pan Pacific Championships later this summer with performances at the 39th Santa Clara Meet that will strike at the heart of rivals.

In 54.06, Coughlin, of California Aquatics, was a class apart over 100m freestyle: not only was that just 0.07sec away from her US record but indicates that she may, after the big taper, be ready to step up to the Australians who have been setting new sprint standards and leaving the rest of the world behind in the process.

Coughlin wasn't quite done, and returned later to win the 100m butterfly in 58.22, taking out Inge de Bruijn's meet record of 58.87, set between the two Olympic Games at which she excelled after a lengthy career as a lesser, and in her own words "e;a lazy"e;, swimmer. No-one else dipped below the minute in California.

"e;I'm excited because this is faster than I went at the Olympics,"e; Coughlin said of her 100m free. "e;I feel great."e;

Phelps is on the rise again and there's obviously something good going on in the water at Michigan. At 4:11.40 over 400m medley unrested, the multiple Olympic champion is clearly heading back to where he was in 2003-2004, if not into uncharted waters on his way to Beijing. "e;That's the best I've felt for a while,"e; said Phelps.

His Club Wolverine teammate, Erik Vendt, an Olympic silver medal winner back from retirement, clocked 4:18.66, a good indication that the fickle finger of longevity has favoured him.

Their training partners Klete Keller and Peter Vanderkaay took out the 200m freestyle in 1:48.69 and 1:48.72 respectively, ahead of Australian Nick Ffrost, on 1:50.28, and Britain's Arizona-based Simon Burnett, on 1:50.50, in the midst of studies and gearing up for the European Championships in Budapest July 31 to Agust 6. That event coincides with the US Nationals, which are clearly set to be a hot affair, as usual.

Other Club Wolverine swimmers showing good form were Hayley Peirsol - with a 4:11.00 400m freestyle that kept Kate Ziegler at bay by 0.64sec - and Davis Tarwater, who won the 200m butterfly in 1:58.68.

Over 200m breaststroke, Megan Jendrick and Tara Kirk battled for honour, Jendrick, 100m Olympic champion in Sydney 2000, getting the edge by 0.20sec, 2:28.36 to 2:28.56.

World champion Brendan Hansen was touched out over 100m breaststroke, the win going to Australian Brenton Rickard 1:01.58 to 1:01.64. Not bad for mid-training times.

Meanwhile, the will-he-won't he saga over Ian Thorpe continues. The Australian media is rife with speculation about the Olympic champion who has struggled to make a competitive comeback following a long break after the Athens Olympic Games.

In The Australian, Nicole Jeffery reports that Thorpe will not show in California but will train in Los Angeles for the next three months with coach Dave Salo at the University of Southern California. Salo has worked with the likes of Peirsol, Krayzelburg and Beard.

No-one would wish to bet against Thorpe making a full return to form. However, given that the Australians trials for the world championships are just five months away, the world record holder appears to have his work cut out as he tries to find new paths.

Results at glance:

Men

100m breaststroke: 1. Brenton Rickard (AUS), 1:01.58, 2. Brendan Hansen 1:01.64, 3. Mark Gangloff 1:02.09

200m freestyle: 1. Klete Keller 1:48.69, 2. Peter Vanderkaay 1:48.72, 3. Nicholas Ffrost (AUS) 1:50.28

400m individual medley: 1. Michael Phelps 4:11.40, 2. Erik Vendt 4:18.66, 3. Eric Shanteau 4:20.89

200m butterfly: 1. Davis Tarwater 1:58.68, 2. Joshua Krogh (AUS) 1:59.86, 3. Alex Vanderkaay 2:00.81

Women

100m freestyle: 1. Natalie Coughlin 54.06sec, 2. Emily Silver 56.29, 3. Shayne Reese (AUS) 56.53

200m breaststroke: 1. Megan Jendrick 2:28.36, 2. Tara Kirk 2:28.56, 3. Sara Katsoulis (AUS) 2:29.76

400m freestyle: 1. Hayley Peirsol 4:11.00, 2. Kate Ziegler 4:11.64, 3. Ashleigh McCleery (AUS) 4:13.32

100m butterfly: 1. Natalie Coughlin 58.22, 2. Dana Kirk 1:00.06, 3. Mary Descenza 1:00.76

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