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While Ian Thorpe remains off the international stage, Michael Phelps is busy experimenting in the pool.
The American's latest laboratory is the Pan Pacific Championships, which begin today in Victoria, British Columbia, without Thorpe, the Australian superstar who has been absent since the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Phelps, the 21-year-old from Rodgers Forge who now lives and trains in Ann Arbor, Mich., plans to swim four individual events and at least one relay at the biggest international meet of the season.
As the world's most versatile swimmer, Phelps is working on tweaking his schedule with an eye on how many and which events he'll attempt at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.
Besides Phelps, the U.S. team is loaded, with world-record holders Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol and Natalie Coughlin, and world champion Katie Hoff, who trains at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.
"Everyone is starting to come around and starting to swim fast," Phelps said. "It'll be a good chance for our guys and our younger guys to sort of get a taste of what the world is all about and who's ready to swim."
Phelps' first test comes today, when he will skip the 200-meter freestyle and a shot at Thorpe's world record to focus on the 200 butterfly.
"I want to do a best time," he said.
Phelps set the world record of 1 minute, 43.93 seconds in 2003 and hasn't topped it since. He threatened it nearly two weeks ago at the U.S. national championships in Irvine, Calif.
The American's latest laboratory is the Pan Pacific Championships, which begin today in Victoria, British Columbia, without Thorpe, the Australian superstar who has been absent since the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Phelps, the 21-year-old from Rodgers Forge who now lives and trains in Ann Arbor, Mich., plans to swim four individual events and at least one relay at the biggest international meet of the season.
As the world's most versatile swimmer, Phelps is working on tweaking his schedule with an eye on how many and which events he'll attempt at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.
Besides Phelps, the U.S. team is loaded, with world-record holders Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol and Natalie Coughlin, and world champion Katie Hoff, who trains at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.
"Everyone is starting to come around and starting to swim fast," Phelps said. "It'll be a good chance for our guys and our younger guys to sort of get a taste of what the world is all about and who's ready to swim."
Phelps' first test comes today, when he will skip the 200-meter freestyle and a shot at Thorpe's world record to focus on the 200 butterfly.
"I want to do a best time," he said.
Phelps set the world record of 1 minute, 43.93 seconds in 2003 and hasn't topped it since. He threatened it nearly two weeks ago at the U.S. national championships in Irvine, Calif.
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