Phelps locks up another 8-race program in London

Published 5:00 am Monday, July 2, 2012

OMAHA, Neb. — Michael Phelps’ Olympic program is set. He’ll be going for another eight gold medals.

He’s not the only one who’ll be busy in London. Get ready to see a lot of Missy Franklin.

And how about Anthony Ervin! After eight years away from swimming, he’ll be at the Olympics, too.

Phelps wrapped up another stellar week at the U.S. trials Sunday night, rallying to win the 100-meter butterfly and secure his spot in five individual races at the Olympics. Throw in the three relays, and that adds up to eight.

Again.

“I guess that’s OK,” Phelps said nonchalantly.

Franklin will have four individual races in London after capping her week with a dominating win in the 200 backstroke. She’s expected to swim all three relays, as well, setting her up to become the first U.S. woman to swim seven events in a single games.

Uhh, make that the first female. She’s still a girl, a 17-year-old who’ll be a high school senior in the fall. But first, she’s got some important business this summer: the Olympics.

“I can’t believe I have seven events,” Franklin said. “It’s so overwhelming but so exciting. The whole week went really, really well.”

Ervin will have only one event in London, a chaotic dash from one pool to the other. But it’s amazing that he’s going at all, considering he walked away from the sport in 2003 while at the peak of his career, burned out and desperate to discover a deeper meaning to life. He spent eight years working odd jobs, finished his college degree and even auctioned off the gold medal he won in the 50 free at Sydney in 2000 to aid tsunami victims.

Now, after returning to the sport just a year ago, he’s got a chance to win another gold.

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