Phelps sets Olympic record in first heat

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BEIJING -- Michael Phelps had some pre-race jitters Saturday before his 400-meter individual medley heat, his first official race of the 2008 Olympics.

He got rid of them by setting an Olympic record.

Phelps, who is attempting to break Mark Spitz’s record for the most gold medals in a single Olympics, was nearly a second and a half faster than any of his challengers, finishing in 4 minutes, 7.82 seconds. Spitz won seven gold medals in the 1972 Munich Games.

Phelps’ time smashed the one he posted (4:08.26) in the finals of the 400-meter individual medley in Athens, when he won his first gold medal. Phelps looked smooth and businesslike right from the moment he walked onto the deck, and he was even ahead of world-record pace for the first half of the race.

‘I was happy to get the first-race jitters out,’ Phelps said. ‘It’s the first race, and probably the most important. It’s getting it out of your system. I was pretty satisfied with that time. I didn’t think I was going to be that fast in the prelims, but it’s going to shape up for a pretty good race tomorrow.’
Ryan Lochte, the one man expect to challenge Phelps in the 400-meter individual medley, wasn’t quite as fast as most expected him to be, finishing with the fourth-best time (4:10.33). That means Lazlo Cseh of Hungary will be the man in the lane next to Phelps in the final, not exactly the marquee matchup for which most people hoped.

‘This wasn’t a final,’ Phelps said. ‘I know Ryan will be right there in the final.’

Phelps will be in Lane 4, awarded to the top-seeded swimmer, while Lochte will be in Lane 6 and Cseh will be in Lane 5.

‘That was one thing I wanted to do was be in the middle of the pool,’ Phelps said. ‘Hopefully that will give me the advantage of seeing everyone else.’

-- Kevin Van Valkenburg