Phillips 66 National Championships 2015: Swimming Results from Saturday
For the second day in a row, 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps was in action at the Phillips 66 National Championships in San Antonio.
And after taking home first place in the men's 200-meter butterfly Friday, with the fastest time in the world this year, Phelps hit the pool to compete in the 100-meter butterfly.
So how did Phelps and some of the United States' finest swimmers fare at Day 3 of the national championships? Find out below.
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| Women's 100-meter Breaststroke | Katie Meili (1:06.55) | Lilly King (1:06.69) | Laura Sogar (1:07.41) |
| Men's 100-meter Butterfly | Michael Phelps (50.45) | Jack Conger (51.33) | David Nolan (52.15) |
| Women's 50-meter Freestyle | Madison Kennedy (24.71) | Amanda Weir (24.85) | Kelsi Worrell (25.01) |
| Men's 50-meter Freestyle | Caeleb Dressel (21.53) | Cullen Jones (21.87) | Josh Schneider (21.92) |
| Women's 400-meter Medley | Caitlin Leverenz (4:38.81) | Sarah Henry (4:41.53) | Madisyn Cox (4:41.75) |
| Women's 4x200-meter Freestyle | Aggie Swim Club (8:06.07) | Indiana University (8:09.77) | Tennessee Aquatics (8:11.52) |
Phelps had plenty of motivation entering Saturday night.
According to NBC Sports' Nick Zaccardi for Olympic Talk, South African swimmer Chad Le Clos called Phelps out after posting a time of 50.56 in the 100-meter butterfly at the FINA World Championships that represented a new South African and African record:
Phelps' response?
A final of 50.45 seconds, which is now the No. 1 time in the world for the 100-meter butterfly this year, according to Swimming World Magazine. Furthermore, Phelps' showing Saturday night came in just .63 seconds shy of the 100-meter butterfly world record, per Swimming World.
Phelps said, per SwimSwam.com's Anne Lepesant:
"I saw the times. I saw the comments. There are a lot of things I could say but I won’t. I let what I do in the pool do all of my talking and that’s how I’ve always done things. From a standpoint of what anybody else says, that’s their own business. You can keep saying anything, I don’t mind it, but you won’t get a rise out of me."
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Phelps' evening swim was even more impressive considering it came on the heels of a 52.12-second preliminary time that ranked second to the University of Texas' Jack Conger (51.97 seconds).
Swimming World provided an overview of the 50-meter splits for the event final:
Swimmers of the world, take note: It's best not to provide Phelps with extra motivation as he preps to return to the podium as a gold-medal winner at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Conger finished second to Phelps in a butterfly event for the second day in a row, but that's hardly something to be ashamed of for such a promising young swimmer.
"It’s always an honor to be the second-fastest American, and it’s always disappointing getting second," Conger said following Friday night's second-place finish, according to the Washington Post's Bryan Flaherty. "But getting second to [Phelps] makes it more OK.”
In the women's 50-meter freestyle final, Madison Kennedy followed up her preliminary-best time of 24.93 by posting a 24.71 mark to hold off Olympic medalist Amanda Weir and Kelsi Worrell, who finished second and third, respectively.
The men's 50-meter freestyle offered a photo finish, as well.
Not only did Caeleb Dressel take home the 50-meter freestyle crown, but he did so in expert fashion, according to SwimSwam Live on Twitter:
Dressel's final time of 21.53 seconds clocked in as the event's third-fastest this year, per Swimming World. Cullen Jones finished just a few tenths back at 21.87 seconds.
With Day 3 in the books, it's time to look ahead to what Sunday has to offer.
Following his stunning performances in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly finals, Phelps is slated to hit the water Sunday for the 200-meter individual medley. The 30-year-old took home gold in the 200-meter medley at the 2012 Olympics in London.
And if the past two days have been any indication, Phelps is rapidly rounding into form after encountering a brief rough patch earlier in the year.
Expect more of the same when the decorated champion returns to the San Antonio stage for some twilight laps Sunday evening.
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