Phelps Takes Another Loss in Charlotte

Beaten by a second in 100-meter freestyle

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted May 18, 2009 9:10 AM CDT

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Phelps Takes Another Loss in Charlotte — Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps swims during the men's final 100-meter freestyle event during the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series Charlotte Ultraswim May 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

A day after losing his first final in nearly a year, Michael Phelps lost again last night in Charlotte, this time in the 100-meter freestyle, the AP reports. The American came in almost a second behind France’s Frederick Bousquet, who holds the world record for 50 meters. “The biggest thing that killed me were my turns and my finishes,” Phelps said.

“I'm not disappointed with that time”—49.04 to Bousquet’s 48.22—“but the finish was awful. There's small things I need to work on. But overall, it was a good meet,” said Phelps, the American record holder in the 100 meter. He was experimenting with a new straight-arm stroke. The loss “will motivate me” to fix flaws in the coming weeks, he said. “I'm kind of mad at myself.”
(More swimming stories.)

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