Phelps sharp in tuneup for U.S. Olympic Trials

AUSTIN, Texas - Michael Phelps erased the pool record that was also his first world record with a finish of 1 minute, 54.79 seconds in Sunday’s 200-meter butterfly final at the Austin Elite.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist led the entire way, touching the wall ahead of China’s Wu Peng, who finished in 1:56.71, and Neil Caskey in 1:59.82.

Phelps set the old record of 1:54.92 as a 15-year-old in 2001, qualifying for that year’s FINA World Aquatics Championship. He broke his own world record and became a world champion for the first time later that summer at the competition in Japan.

It was his last competition before the U.S. Olympic Trials that begin June 25 in Omaha. On Friday, he also won the 100 butterfly and placed second in the 100 freestyle.

AP