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Michael Phelps slated for five events at Santa Clara; Missy Franklin makes pro debut

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Michael Phelps is scheduled for five events at the Santa Clara Pro Swim Series. (Matt York/Associated Press)
Michael Phelps is scheduled for five events at the Santa Clara Pro Swim Series. (Matt York/Associated Press)

After a disappointing performance in his last Pro Swim Series appearance, Michael Phelps seems to have decided that more is less: more 200s, less disappointment.

The 18-time gold medalist is scheduled for five events at this weekend’s Pro Swim Series finale, June 18-21, at George F. Haines International Swim Center in Santa Clara, Calif. USA Swimming released psych sheets last week.

[Psych sheets available here]

Phelps’s slate will mark the first time since ending his retirement last year that he has not entered the 100-meter butterfly — an event he is expected to compete for gold in at next summer’s Rio Olympics.

He will instead double down on 200 races that were his signature during his dominant stretch when he broke 18 world records between 2001-09. He will swim 200-meter freestyle, 200 individual medley, 200 backstroke and, surprisingly, the 200 butterfly again. He is also scheduled for the 100 freestyle, as well.

(Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)
(Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)

Missy Franklin will also contest five events — although a significantly lighter slate than Phelps, with the 50, 100 and 200 backstrokes and 100 and 200 freestyles scheduled. The now ex-California star will be swimming her first meet as a professional and back in a Colorado Stars swim cap after returning home to train with Coach Todd Schmitz.

Entering the final meet of the 2014-15 Pro Swim Series, Conor Dwyer holds a sizable 21-point lead over Tyler Clary in the men’s points standings, while Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu enters with a 24-point lead over Caitlin Leverenz, who holds a slim half-point lead on Elizabeth Beisel.

The winners receive a $10,000 bonus and a year’s lease on two BMWs. (Hosszu is not eligible for the BMW prize due to her foreign status, and the auto lease will fall to the runner-up.)

Other featured events:

  • Women’s 50 freestyle: Top-seeded Simone Manuel leads a stacked field with internationals Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands, Brazil’s Etiene Medeiros and Egypt’s Farida Osman and top U.S. sprinters Natalie Coughlin, Margo Geer, Madison Kennedy and recently-turned pro Ivy Martin of Wisconsin.
  • Men’s 200 butterfly: Tom Shields holds a sizable advantage over second-seeded Sebastien Rousseau and third-seeded Chase Kalisz, who said after his win in Charlotte that this event is among his favorites. Phelps enters seeded 13th, and Clary 17th. (Former All-Met Michael Flach is also entered in 16th).
  • Women’s 400 IM: It’s rare that a season-long points race for $10,000 could come down to a single race, but here we have the race between second-seeded Beisel and fourth-seeded Leverenz. Hosszu is the top seed.

Local entries (all from Machine Aquatics):


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