Michael Phelps at Arena Pro Swim Series 2015: Race Results and Twitter Reaction

Michael Phelps is arguably the greatest swimmer of all time and one of the best athletes in Olympic history, but he is entering a new phase of his career with an eye on the 2016 Olympics.

Phelps returned to the pool for his first competitive event since his six-month suspension at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa, Arizona, and looked like his old self with a victory in the 100-meter butterfly Thursday.

Read on for daily updates as Phelps attempts to build on that quick start.

Day 3 Recap

Matt York/Associated Press

Phelps' only two events on Saturday were the big ones, as the Olympic star took part in the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter free style. He performed well, winning the 100 and placing third in the 200. 

The rivalry between Phelps and Ryan Lochte took center stage during qualifying, with Lochte coming out on top in the preliminary runs. Phelps didn't have problems qualifying for the finals in either event, but he did have work to do if he wanted to walk out of Mesa o a high note. 

The 200-meter individual medley final was a similar story, with Lochte coming out on top and Phelps finishing third behind Conor Dwyer (via USA Swimming Live):

Phelps' defeat in that event didn't come out of nowhere. Despite winning gold medals in the 200-meter medley at the past three Olympics, he was the runner-up spot at last year's Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.  

According to Swimming World, Phelps' third-place finish in the 200-meter race did move him up in the overall world rankings "to just outside the top 20."

Even though Phelps isn't going to be happy about the defeat, he did tell USA Swimming that he expected a tough battle:

No one should have expected peak Phelps because he's just returning after serving a six-month suspension and going all-in against some of the best competition in the world. Lochte isn't exactly chopped liver in a pool. 

The event Phelps really needed a great effort in was the 100-meter freestyle. It's the shortest race, he didn't miss a beat in the 100-meter butterfly on Thursday, and it allows him to go all-out without having to conserve energy. He can essentially make like a relief pitcher in baseball who comes in pumping fastballs with everything he's got. 

Phelps delivered in the 100-meter freestyle in what may have been the best race of the day. He squeaked past Lochte with a time of 49.72 seconds. Lochte made the touch at 49.77 seconds, per Swimming World on Twitter: 

However, as noted in the Swimming World recap linked above, Phelps and Lochte are still a long way off from owning one of the top times in 100-meter freestyle swimming this year:

"

Michael Phelps called it “just a 100″ this afternoon, but he sure didn’t approach it that way as he captured the men’s 100-meter free title at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.

Phelps threw down a sizzling 49.72 to touchout longtime rival Ryan Lochte, who placed second overall in 49.77.  They both still have plenty of time to drop to catch up to the top 20 times in the world currently anchored by Calum Jarvis’ 48.93.

"

While Phelps "only" went 1-of-2 on Saturday, his return to the pool has to be considered a success. He finished on a positive note with the 100-meter win, placed third in the 200-meter individual medley and won the 100-meter butterfly on Thursday in his first event back. 

The 29-year-old still has a lot to work on if he hopes to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, which he said earlier this week to The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) is the goal, but Phelps would also say that given all his time off and the energy he will need over the next 1.5 years, this was a positive step in his comeback. 

Day 2 

Phelps impressed during the first day of competition, but Friday was one to forget, as espnW noted:

"

Phelps fails to qualify for 400 free in Arizona http://t.co/j3LRsuGvJd

— espnwnews (@espnWnews) April 17, 2015"

Phelps failed to qualify for the 400-meter freestyle final after posting a time of four minutes, 2.67 seconds. It was good enough for fourth place in his heat and 17th overall, and he elected not to swim in the C final Friday evening.

Phelps also didn’t swim the 100 backstroke preliminaries Friday.

This comeback is not going to be perfect, and there will be disappointing days like Friday, but Phelps already made important strides in the Arena Pro Swim Series.

Matt York/Associated Press

Commentator Rowdy Gaines discussed this transition back to competition for Phelps, per Seth Rubinroit of UniversalSports.com: “I think last year he wasn’t 100 percent sure he was going to go through with all of this. But now he has it firmly in his mind that yes, he is going to go for Rio. That gives him a lot more focus to allow swimming to be his No. 1 priority the next 16-18 months.” 

Next up for Phelps is the 200 individual medley and 100 freestyle, which are both Saturday.

Shorter races are likely more ideal than longer ones for the 29-year-old at this stage of his career, and he will be relatively fresh without any finals appearances Friday evening. Look for him to be much more competitive than he was in the 400-meter race.

Day 1

What's the pool equivalent of ring rust? Whatever it is, Michael Phelps doesn't have it.

The 29-year-old showed up at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa, Arizona, for his first competitive event since his six-month suspension and beat out the competition in the 100-meter butterfly. He finished 0.73 seconds ahead of Ryan Lochte, per USA Swimming Live:

"I'm always hard on myself," he said after the race, per USA Today's Nicole Auerbach. "Being my first race back, I think it's OK. There are probably some things to fix. I think it's a good starting point. I'm looking forward to more to come."

While Phelps clearly wasn't his best, he got off to a solid start and never really had to overcome a serious deficit. He really accelerated off the wall at the halfway mark, and as the race wound down, he opened up a little space between himself and his fellow swimmers. Lochte made a late push, but it wasn't enough to grab the lead.

Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde felt the time wasn't otherworldly, but it represented progress for a swimmer who spent so long out of the pool:

Swimming broadcaster Rowdy Gaines was happy to see Phelps atop the podium once again:

Although he and Phelps remain rivals in the water, Lochte applauded Phelps' effort, per Universal Sports:

Phelps qualified for the final after posting the fastest time, 52.92 seconds, in the preliminary meet for the 100-meter butterfly. Tim Phillips made it close at the end, but the 18-time gold medalist edged him out by 0.10 seconds.

Thursday's event was merely the first step in Phelps' comeback attempt. According to The Associated Press (via ESPN.com), he's aiming to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro despite not taking part in the world championships.

"You guys heard it here first," he said Wednesday. "I am looking forward to next year. I don't think it's too hard to really realize why I came back."

It's obviously unrealistic to expect Phelps to be anything close to his old self. The 2008 and 2012 Olympics were a long time ago, and any athlete is bound to decline in the span four to eight years.

With that said, Phelps might not need to shatter records in order to make an impact in Rio, should he get there.

Thursday's meet was a strong first foray back into the pool, and many fans will watch with rapt attention to see if he can continue improving over the coming months.