Phelps swims on campus, breaks record

Michael Phelps broke his own world record.

By Ryan Huber

Published Feb. 20, 2007

As the opening night of the Missouri Grand Prix began with the likes of swimming sensations Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol, Katie Hoff and Ian Crocker looking on, Student Recreation Complex Director Diane Dahlmann knew it wasn't another meet.

"We are fortunate, first and foremost, to have developed a facility like this," Dahlmann said. "We had envisioned this and set our cap to host these types of events even in the planning stages. We said, 'Let's not be afraid to dream big.'"

Even with 19 Olympians, 22 World Champions and another 293 swimmers in the competition, it wasn't the biggest meet the Mizzou Aquatics Center has held, but the caliber of talent surpassed every meet in the 2-year-old building.

Spectators alike witnessed history-in-the-making on the second night of competition as six-time gold medalist Michael Phelps broke his own world record in the 200m butterfly with a time of 1:53.71.

"I was just kind of shocked," Phelps said after his race. "When I heard the crowd, I really didn't know what to expect. I didn't expect that for sure."

Phelps' official time of 1:53.71 broke his own world record of 1:53.80, which he set over the summer in Victoria, Canada. At just 21 years old, he already holds 13 world records, 19 American records and is a 10-time world champion.

The packed facility had been loud all night, but it erupted as Phelps finished.

"When I hit the wall, I looked up at the clock, and I thought it said 1:56 and I was like 'Why is everyone cheering, it was a 1:56, c'mon,'" he said. "But then I took my goggles off and saw, and that's when I noticed everything. You could tell that's when my reaction changed a little bit."

Phelps said he had no idea how to react, but was thrilled with the performance.

"I kind of went a little psycho, but I was excited," he said. "Being able to break a world record a month out of Worlds', unshaved, un-rested, still lifting, you can't get much better than that."

But Phelps wasn't the only swimmer hitting new marks. Natalie Coughlin set a new U.S. Open record on the following evening in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:58, breaking the old record by two one-hundredths of a second.

The field of 334 swimmers used this meet as a final confidence booster before their final preparations for the World Championships, which will be held a month from now in Australia.

"I'm very, very happy with how this meet has gone," Coughlin said. "I definitely wasn't expecting a U.S. Open record, but I was expecting to be close to my best times, and I was."

With the fast times, Phelps, among others, praised both the facility and the fans in attendance.

"It was delightful to visit with (USA swimming coach) Mark Schubert at dinner last night and to hear him say 'This is a world-class facility,'" Dahlmann said. "It used to be that IUPUI at Indianapolis was it, and everybody last night was saying 'No, this is it.' To know that we are now the new cherry on the sundae is very gratifying."