SWIMMING: PHELPS READY TO MAKE STATEMENT.Byline: ERIK BOAL Special to the Daily News IRVINE -- Michael Phelps For the American biophysicist, see . Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer and World Record Holder in several events. won two national swimming titles and three gold medals at the World Championships last year and considered his season a disappointment. That prompted the 21-year-old to move to Michigan and commit himself to the most demanding training of his young career in preparation for this week's nationals and a handful of international meets in the coming year. That could be a bad omen for Phelps' competition, as he will compete for Club Wolverine wolverine or glutton, largest member of the weasel family, Gulo gulo, found in the northern parts of North America and Eurasia, usually in high mountains near the timberline or in tundra. in six individual events and likely all three relays at the ConocoPhillips National Championships, which begin today at the William Woollett William Woollett (August 15, 1735 - May 23, 1785), English engraver, was born at Maidstone, of a family which came originally from the Netherlands. He was apprenticed to John Tinney, an engraver in Fleet Street, London, and studied in the St Martin's Lane academy. Jr. Aquatic Center. ``I am training the best I have ever trained during the past six to eight months,'' said Phelps, who leads a field of 20 U.S. Olympic gold Olympic Gold is the official video game of the XXV Olympic Summer Games, hosted by Barcelona, Spain in 1992. It was released for the Sega consoles, Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System, and Sega's handheld, Game Gear. medalists competing in the five-day event. ``To be able to get back to that (level) has me more excited going into nationals.'' Phelps, the active leader among American swimmers with 27 national titles, could challenge his own world record of 4 minutes, 8.26 seconds in the 400-meter individual medley on the opening night of competition. A victory would assure him a spot on the U.S. roster for the Mutual of Omaha Mutual of Omaha, best known for sponsoring the popular television show Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is a Fortune 500 insurance and financial services company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Pan Pacific Championships on Aug. 17-21 in Victoria, British Columbia. Experts predict there could be as many as six world records falling by week's end, with Cal graduate Natalie Coughlin, Ian Crocker (Portland, Maine), Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Penn.), Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.) and hometown favorite Aaron Peirsol also possible threats. ``This is probably just as big as the Olympic Trials,'' Phelps said. ``If you don't swim well here, then you're out of international competition pretty much for the next two years.'' In addition to the impressive list of Olympic medalists, area standouts Lisa Andrade (Canyons Aquatics), Emily Bibb bibb n. 1. Nautical A bracket on the mast of a ship to support the trestletrees. 2. A bibcock. [Alteration of bib.] (La Reina of Thousand Oaks), Kara Kara (kär`ə), river, c.140 mi (230 km) long, NE European and NW Siberian Russia. It flows N from the N Urals into the Kara Sea, forming part of the traditional border between European and Asian Russia. It is navigable in its lower course. Denby (Trinity Pacific Christian of Newbury Park/Auburn), James Martin (Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta/USC), Patrick Simpkins (Crespi of Encino/Stanford) and Sara Sun (Crescenta Valley) will all be competing in individual events. erik.boal@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 |
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