Phelps tops Peirsol in 100 back, caps big meet

Sports Digest

May 19, 2008

Michael Phelps of Rodgers Forge ended his drought against Aaron Peirsol and is ready to start turning his attention toward the U.S. Olympic trials.

Phelps completed a busy day by beating Peirsol in the 100-meter backstroke at the Santa Clara (Calif.) Grand Prix last night, the first time the six-time Olympic gold medalist has defeated Peirsol in a backstroke event.

"I just tried to nail the last wall and have a real good kickout," said Phelps, who won five events in the four-day meet. "I was hurting a little bit at the end."

Phelps also picked up wins in the 100 free and 200 individual medley yesterday.

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Phelps has one tuneup left before the U.S. Olympic trials begin June 29 in Omaha, Neb.

• Tennis // Rafael Nadal beat defending champion Roger Federer, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-3, to win the ATP Hamburg Masters in Germany. ... No. 4 seed Jelena Jankovic won her second straight WTA Italian Open title in Rome, defeating Alize Cornet, 6-2, 6-2.

• NBA // More than four months after Andrew Bynum injured his left knee, the Los Angeles Lakers center will have arthroscopic surgery Wednesday.

• Half-Ironman // Jeff Conine, 41, a former Oriole who retired from baseball after last season, placed 1,376th overall and 220th among men 40-44 in the Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida in Orlando. The race consisted of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bicycle ride and 13.1-mile run. Conine's combined time was 6 hours, 39 minutes, 52 seconds. Paul Amey, 34, of Great Britain finished first overall in 3:52:51.

• Golf // Ken Lampard and Kenny Smith closed with a 67 for a 36-hole total of 131 and a four-stroke victory in the Baltimore Municipal Golf Corporation two-man championship.

• Major League Soccer // Sacha Kljestan scored the winning goal in the 76th minute, and Chivas USA (2-4-2) won, 3-1, over D.C. United (2-6-0) late Saturday in Carson, Calif.

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