Phelps keeps fans guessing on Olympics plans

OMAHA, Nebraska — Michael Phelps's plans for his Olympic finale will be clarified in the crucible of the US Olympic swimming trials, but until then, Phelps himself is giving nothing away.

Phelps entered seven events in the eight-day meeting that begins on Monday in Omaha's 13,200-seat CenturyLink Center, but as of Saturday he wouldn't confirm if he actually planned to race the first event on his docket -- Monday's 400m individual medley.

Phelps has won it at the last two Olympic Games, but after Beijing vowed never to swim the punishing event again in major competition.

If he changes his mind, the first event of the trials could offer a first showdown between Phelps and Ryan Lochte, who last year emerged from Phelps's shadow with five titles at the World Championships in Shanghai -including 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley victories over Phelps.

Lochte put his name down for a whopping 11 events at the trials, which do not include relays, but he, too, wasn't quite certain what he would swim.

"The 200m IM, 400 IM, 200 free, 200 back -- I know I'm doing those four," Lochte said, laughing a little as he added: "I guess the other seven we'll decide later."

After his exploits in Shanghai, Lochte said he felt capable of matching Phelps's historic tally of eight golds in one Games, but he insisted Saturday he hadn't set that as his target for London.

"I know eight is possible," Lochte said. "I'm not going for a number. I'm going to step on the blocks and race as many times as my body can handle it."

The rivalry between Phelps and Lochte -- welcomed by both as a lure for sports fans but also downplayed as a motivational force -- is a key theme in this year's trials, a notoriously demanding meeting in which only the top two finishers in each event book individual Olympic berths.

"For all of them, it's as simple as this: When you swim your event there's only two hands that are going to make a difference -- the first and second hands that touch the wall," USA Swimming national team director Frank Busch said.

" You could call it a high- stakes poker game or whatever you want to call it but it boils down to the first two hands on the wall are going, for the majority of events."

Tyler Clary, aiming to optimize his chances, said he would skip the 200m individual medley featuring Phelps and Lochte -- the former and current world record holders who between them own the top nine performances ever posted in the event.