Phelps sets up first trials duel with Lochte

 WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- American star swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte set up their first duel¹ of the 400-meter individual medley² at the US Olympic swimming trials on Monday.

Phelps, who won eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, has won the event at the previous two Olympics and still owns the world record of four minutes 3.84 seconds that he set at the Beijing Games 2008.

He clocked 4:14.72 to win his heat, while Lochte, the reigning³ world champion in the event, won his heat in 4:10.66.

Lochte, however, said the four-second gap would mean nothing in Monday night's final.

"I think that's the easiest 4:14 he's ever done," Lochte said of Phelps. "He looked really smooth. Tonight's going to be a dogfight -- and it's not just me and Michael, there's Tyler Clary, too."

Clary, runner-up of the event at Shanghai worlds last year, finished 4:15.88 to win his heat, which was the fourth-fastest time of the morning.

Chase Kalisz clocked 4:15.78 in the heat.

Phelps had said he would not swim the 400m medley again in major competition. But it seems he may reconsider it in London.

"We'll know more tonight if it was a good decision," said Phelps's coach Bob Bowman.

"It was all right," Phelps said of his preliminary performance. "It felt fairly relaxed."

Only the top two finishers in each event book tickets to the London Games.

Dana Vollmer, winner of the women's 100m butterfly at Shanghai worlds, led the way into the semifinals of the event in an impressive 56.59.

"I knew coming into this meet I feel better than I did at worlds," Vollmer said. "I knew I needed to get the first race in and I'd be less nervous. It felt smoother and easier than I expected that time to feel."

1 duel   

n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争

参考例句：

• The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
• Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。

2 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

3 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。