Phelps, Hoff double up

Swimmers each take gold in respective 400 IM, 800 freestyle relay

By Beth Harris | Associated Press

August 19, 2006

VICTORIA, British Columbia // Michael Phelps won his second individual gold medal of the Pan Pacific Championships last night, then returned as leadoff swimmer on the United States' victorious 800-meter freestyle relay.

Phelps, the 21-year-old superstar from Rodgers Forge who won six gold medals and eight overall at the 2004 Olympics, demolished the 400 individual medley field by more than three seconds.

He took the lead for good after two laps, then cruised home in 4 minutes, 10.47 seconds - well off his 2-year-old world record, but good enough to better his Pan Pac mark of 4:12.48 set in 2002.

American teammate Robert Margalis earned silver in 4:13.85. Thiago Pereira captured Brazil's first medal of the meet with a bronze.

Phelps grimaced as he made his way to the edge of the pool, clearly disappointed in not setting another world record like he did in the 200 butterfly Thursday night.

"I was a little too relaxed the first 100," he said.

Katie Hoff of Towson matched Phelps with her second individual gold, then anchored the United States to victory in the women's 800 freestyle relay.

Hoff won the 400 IM in 4:36.82, erasing the 13-year-old Pan Pac record of 4:39.25 by American Kristine Quance. Hoff's teammate, Ariana Kukors, earned silver and Stephanie Rice of Australia claimed bronze.

In the men's relay, the quartet of Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller was under pace most of the way until Keller lost it on the final lap.

The team won in 7:05.28, topping Australia's Pan Pac record of 7:08.79. The United States won by a whopping 7.11 seconds over Canada and bronze-medalist Australia.

"We were within six-tenths of the world record," Phelps said. "Four years ago, we weren't even in the universe of that world record. Being able to be within six-tenths is something that's exciting for us and something that's going to give us motivation into next year."

The relay lowered its own American record of 7:06.58, set at last year's world championships in Montreal.

The United States dominated the Commonwealth Place pool, piling up a leading 20 medals after two days of competition.

The Americans claimed seven golds yesterday and have 12 overall. Japan was second with 10 medals and Australia third with nine.

In the women's freestyle relay, the team of Natalie Coughlin, Lacey Nymeyer, Dana Vollmer and Hoff won in 4:54.62, bettering the Pan Pac record set by the United States.

Australia was 3.38 seconds behind for silver and Japan took bronze.

• Notes // World-record holder Brendan Hansen of the United States won the 100 breaststroke with the only sub-1 minute effort. He finished in 59.90 seconds to set a Pan Pac record, topping the meet record of 1:00.17 he swam in morning preliminaries. ... Brent Hayden earned Canada's first gold medal, upsetting American Jason Lezak in the 100 freestyle. Hayden won in 48.59, a Pan Pac record. Lezak touched in 48.76. ... The women's 100 free came down to a match race between teammates Coughlin and Amanda Weir. Coughlin won in 53.87, having set the Pan Pac record of 53.83 in the morning preliminaries. Weir lost by five one-hundredths of a second after pouring it on late.

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Phelps, Hoff double up

Swimmers each take gold in respective 400 IM, 800 freestyle relay

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Swimmers each take gold in respective 400 IM, 800 freestyle relay

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