Phelps back on big stage at Panpacs

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA: Recordbreaking Olympian Michael Phelps will swim his first international meet since coming out of retirement at this week’s Pan Pacific Championships as he seeks a return to winning ways.

Phelps, 29, the 18-time Olympic gold medallist, will take his quest for form to Australia’s Gold Coast after he ended this month’s US Championships with a couple of near-misses but no wins.

Despite this, Phelps made the powerful 60-strong American team for the Gold Coast meet, just four months after ending a 20-month retirement which began after the London Olympics.

Australia’s James Magnussen will resume his sprint rivalry with Nathan Adrian, part of a heavyweight US team also including Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky.

But attention will inevitably focus on the continuing comeback of Phelps, the greatest Olympian of all time who will contest up to five individual events.

At the US titles Phelps botched a turn in the 100m free to finish seventh, was out-touched by a fingertip in one of his signature events, the 100m butterfly, and finished sixth in the 100m backstroke.

“I am taking it a lot slower now than what I did before, because I do understand that I need to give my body time to get back and build up to where I want to be,” Phelps said this week.