Sharks in the water

Earning berths scary proposition

On a night when swimmers said their farewells at the US Olympic trials, 41-year-old Dara Torres geared up for Beijing by setting a US record in the 50-meter freestyle (24.25 seconds). (Nati Harnik/Associated Press)

OMAHA - Ian Crocker was happy just to get out of town in one piece, his Beijing boarding pass in hand. "Overriding relief," the man from Maine said, after he'd made the Olympic swimming team in the 100-meter butterfly by less than half a second in an event in which he holds the world record. "I felt like the young wolves were coming out to eat the old ones. I'm thankful to get on the team."

When the eight-day trials ended at the Qwest Center last night with victories by Dara Torres in the 50-meter freestyle (an American record 24.25) and surprising Peter Vanderkaay in the 1,500, the roster looked pretty much the way the seeding sheets said it would. Michael Phelps made the team in five individual events (with relays, he'll swim eight at the Games) as did former clubmate Katie Hoff.

The other big names - backstrokers Aaron Peirsol, Natalie Coughlin, Margaret Hoelzer, breaststrokers Brendan Hansen and Amanda Beard, distance freestylers Kate Ziegler and Larsen Jensen - all earned tickets. But for some of them and most everybody else, it wasn't easy.

Hansen made the team in the 100, but was run down by two clubmates in the 200 and finished a shocking fourth. Cullen Jones earned a relay spot but missed in the 50 free, where he won global silver last year. And Erik Vendt made the team in the 800 freestyle relay, but missed in the 1,500 free.

Even though a relatively modest nine world records (six in the backstroke) were set in Speedo's new LZR Racer suit, making this team was much harder than it was four years ago.

Gary Hall, Jr., trying to make his fourth team at 33, swam only two hundredths of a second slower than he did to win his Athens gold in the 50 free and finished fourth. Hayley McGregory easily would have won both Olympic backstrokes in 2004 with her times. Neither was good enough here, though McGregory set a global mark in the 100 back prelims.

The old wolves who did make the team, like 41-year-old Torres (her fifth) and 32-year-old Jason Lezak had to be faster than they'd ever been. Torres, who won both the 50 and 100 free after taking another seven years off after 2000, posted the best times of her career. And Lezak had to reclaim his American mark in the 100 free.

If anything, this US team will be better than it was in Athens, where it won 28 medals, a dozen gold. Based on the year's best times, the Americans should win more than three dozen, including 18 golds.

Phelps, who set world marks in both individual medleys, swam within himself here, clearly saving his best for Olympus, where he'll be favored to win five individual golds (both butterflys, both IMs, and the 200 free) and at least two more in relays.

The record eighth likely will depend upon the 4 x 100 freestyle, where the French will be favored. "We're going to have to have four guys on their 'A' game," says Phelps, who earned his leg based on his prelim time here.

With Phelps, Peirsol, Hansen and the relays, the men could win 11 of the 16 events in Beijing. With Hoff favored in the 200 free and both IMs, the women could take seven, if Coughlin (100 back), Hoelzer (200 back), Ziegler (800 free), and the 800 freestyle relay come through.

Gold medals are more difficult to come by on the women's side, where the Australians figure to win at least seven in the sprints, breaststroke, butterfly, and relays. "We still feel like a bit of an underdog," says US coach Jack Bauerle. "We have a lot to prove when we get there. We have to get better."

Last week, more than setting records, was about dodging the other domestic carnivores and getting to Beijing. "We will find out at the Olympics how things will shake out," said men's coach Eddie Reese. "That's how it should be. The athletes will have to go flat-out, all-out."