Phelps looking ahead to better times in 2010

Michael Phelps is ready to put an up-and-down post-Olympic year behind him and focus on the challenges that await in 2010, including adjusting to a ban on the high-performance suits that rocked his sport. The 14-time Olympic gold medalist from Baltimore will compete in one final meet, Duel in the Pool on Dec. 18-19 in Manchester, England, before closing out the year. "The biggest thing right now is me getting back in shape," he said. Phelps' recent trip to Europe for two World Cup short-course meets produced a batch of what he described as "pretty awful slow races," resulting in no victories, let alone any records. In preparation for the Jan. 1 ban on high-tech suits, Phelps wore an old-style suit, making him look even slower against his polyurethane-clad competition. "In a way I'm kind of happy that happened, to light the fire a little bit more," he said.

Sports Digest

November 24, 2009