Phelps qualifies a 2nd time at Oly swim trials

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Michael Phelps is 2-for-2.

The Mark Spitz wannabe earned a second spot on the U.S. Olympic team Friday, winning the 200-meter freestyle to guarantee a head-to-head showdown with Ian Thorpe at the Athens Games. Phelps came back 42 minutes later and won his heat in the 200 butterfly, advancing to Saturday's final.

He has entered six individual events at the American trials with an eye toward breaking Spitz's record of seven Olympic gold medals, set 32 years ago at Munich. The 19-year-old from Baltimore also is expected to swim two or three relays.

Natalie Coughlin, the most heralded U.S. woman in the pool, finally made her first Olympic team by winning the 100 backstroke. On the men's side, friendly rivals Aaron Peirsol and Lenny Krayzelburg went 1-2 in the 100 back.

In the day's other final at the portable pool set up along the waterfront in Long Beach, Amanda Beard made her third straight Olympic team by beating a loaded field in the 100 breaststroke. She held off three other former Olympians and four-time NCAA champion Tara Kirk.

For the first time, a day passed without a world record being set. New marks were set on each of the first two days of the trials, which run through Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Phelps broke his own world record in the 400 individual medley. He didn't come close to Thorpe's mark in the 200 free, touching the wall in 1 minute, 46.27 seconds, but at least earned a chance to face the Australian in an individual race.

None of Phelps' other events — the 200 and 400 individual medleys, 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke — will match him against the Thorpedo, who has basically become a freestyle specialist.

Phelps is anything but specialized. At Athens, he'll try to pull off the most amazing all-around feat in swimming history and eclipse one of sport's most revered records — Spitz's seven golds.

Knowing he had another race to go, Phelps didn't push too hard in the 200 free. He fell short of his American record, 1:45.99, and was more than 2 seconds shy of Thorpe's world mark, 1:44.06.

Phelps was hurt by a poor start — he hit the water slower than any of the other seven finalists.

"I don't know if I didn't dry the (starting) block off," Phelps said. "It's something to pay more attention to in the future."

Added his coach, Bob Bowman: "It was a real slow start, and that cost him the American record."