Phelps issues splashy warning to rivals

Olympic swim legend Michael Phelps completed an epic effort at the US national championships on Monday, having served notice he has the speed and skill to star at the 2016 Olympics.

Phelps only finished fifth in Monday's 200-meter breaststroke final in 2 min, 11.30 sec, well off winner Craig Benson's winning time of 2:09.68.

But Phelps seldom swims the event and was entered more as a challenge and training exercise rather than with a victory in mind, having won three events in the previous three days and beaten the winning time at the world championships in Russia in each one of them.

"I'm in a great place, a place where I haven't been in a long time, a place where I have confidence," Phelps said. "I've seen the work I've been doing, and done, has worked.

"I'm going into an Olympic year having something to build on and that hasn't happened in a while, probably since 2007. I'm excited to get back into it."

Phelps was supposed to be competing at the worlds but a drunk driving charge led to him being dropped from the US team.

Instead, he had to be content with vying for national titles at the US meet being staged at the same time as the worlds.

Phelps met his self-imposed goal in the 200 breaststroke by breaking his former North Baltimore Aquatic Club record of 2:12.1.

"That's what I wanted to beat," Phelps said. "I'll take a 2:11.3 any day of the week. I was just spinning coming in. I had no legs."

Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, still showed he can be a threat in certain events next year at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

The 22-time Olympic medalist won the 200 individual medley on Sunday in 1:54.75, faster than the 1:55.81 compatriot Ryan Lochte produced in winning the world title in Russia. He earlier won the 100 and 200 butterfly events in times that would have beaten the world championship top times as well.

Phelps said he would rather have rested and not swum on Monday, but noted it will probably help bolster his confidence about his ability to work in Olympic relays and multiple swims within a few hours in tough situations.

"I kind of wanted to just relax to be honest," Phelps said. "It's kind of good as far as to swim events like this back to back, to see if I can get up and race.

"It's probably good I was able to race these together and see I could race it."