Garrett Weber-Gale, trying to take ownership of the unofficial title of sprint king from Gary Hall Jr., looked at Hall’s get-up before the 50-meter freestyle final on Saturday night.
The two-time defending Olympic champion wore a multicolored cape with red trim with the words, “The Godfather of Swimming.”
“Honestly, the spotlight doesn’t really matter to me,” said Weber-Gale, who earlier won the 100 freestyle.
It took 21.47 seconds for the spotlight to rest on Weber-Gale, who won the 50, setting an American record. Ben Wildman-Tobriner was second, Jones third and Hall Jr. fourth.
The spotlight, you might say, has been most democratic here.
Four years ago, at the trials it was all things Michael Phelps and his Spitzian quest. That hasn’t gone away or awry, of course, and Phelps is still on track to unseat legend Mark Spitz and his record seven Olympic gold medals.
Phelps won his fifth individual race at the trials in a largely anti-climatic race against Ian Crocker in the 100 butterfly, 50.89 to Crocker’s 51.62. For Phelps, it was 5-for-5 in Omaha, and with three relays, the possibility of eight golds in Beijing is not unrealistic.
“This week turned out how I wanted to,” Phelps said. “I’m excited. At the Olympics, I think I’m going to be better than I was here.”
Still, Phelps has not been hoarding the spotlight. Hall is gone, perhaps for good. The ageless Dara Torres is back, for good, and faster than ever at 41, setting the American record in the semifinals of the 50 free, going 24.38. Then there was the requisite daily world record, this one coming from Margaret Hoelzer in the 200 backstroke (2:06.09).
Katie Hoff won the 800 freestyle in 8:20.81, just off her personal best of 8:19.70. Hoff went 5-for-6 here, and with one relay, she could win six gold medals in Beijing.
