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Phelps grabs two titles in an hour

  • Story Highlights
  • Michael Phelps snaps up two more titles inside an hour in the US nationals
  • He wins the 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke
  • He misses a world record in the backstroke by three hundredths of a second
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CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- Michael Phelps powered his way to two titles in the space of an hour at the U.S. swimming nationals on Friday, missing the 100 meters backstroke world record by three hundredths of a second.

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Phelps hopes to win eight gold medals at the next Olympics.

The 22-year-old sent a warning to those thinking of derailing his Olympic dream of winning eight gold medals, with a pair of masterful swims in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

In the 200 meter event Phelps, who holds the world record, was challenged by Michigan Wolverine team mate Peter Vanderkaay, but used his trademark final surge to pull away and touch first in a U.S. record one minute 44.98 seconds.

Vanderkaay, the winner of the 400 freestyle on Thursday, was second in 1:45.45.

"Peter had a great swim, hopefully I can use the momentum," Phelps told reporters. "Hopefully I have something left in the tank, I'm pretty excited about my swim."

Less than an hour later Phelps was back on the blocks and had enough left to win the 100 backstroke in 53.01, missing Aaron Peirsol's world record 52.98 set in March at the world championships in Melbourne.

"I saw we were on world record pace at 50 meters and it was probably my own fault, looking up could have cost me a few hundredths," Phelps said after posting the second fastest time in history for the event.

It was his fourth individual title of the week, which pushed his career total to 36.

World record holder Brendan Hansen completed a breaststroke double, following up his 200 meter victory with an emphatic win in the 100 event.

He beat Panamerican Games silver medallist Mark Gangloff to the wall by nearly a second to win in 59.59.

Rebecca Soni also secured a breaststroke double, winning the 100 event in 1:07.06, having taken the 200 title on the first day.

After finishing runner-up to Kate Ziegler in the 400 and 800 freestyle, Katie Hoff finally turned the tables on her rival, coming home first in the 200 freestyle in 1:57.57.

Ziegler, who shattered swimming's oldest world record when she erased Janet Evans's 1,500 freestyle mark in June, was a distant second in 1:58.53. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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