OMAHA: Nathan Adrian, Cammile Adams and Josh Prenot all scored wins at the US Olympic swimming trials here on Thursday to book their tickets to the Rio Games but were pushed out of the spotlight by old foes Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

The evening got off to an electrifying start with Prenot chasing down Kevin Cordes to win the men’s 200 breaststroke in a sizzling time of two minutes, 7.17 seconds, the second fastest ever in the event and just 0.10 seconds off the mark held by Japan’s Akhiro Yamaguchi.

But it is how the night finished with Olympic champion Phelps and world champion and world record holder Lochte cruising to easy wins in their 200 medley semifinals that had the swim world buzzing setting up one more showdown between the longtime rivals in the final. While Phelps has already secured a spot on his fifth US Olympic squad and Lochte his fourth, Prenot’s race represented his last chance to Rio.

Cordes, winner of the 100 breast, went out at a blistering pace making the last turn 1.19 seconds under world record pace.

But the 22-year-old could not hold on over the final 50 metres as Prenot beat him to the wall to qualify for his first Olympic team.

Adrian is also headed to Rio with a chance to defend the 100 metres freestyle gold he won at the London Olympics. Adams took advantage of her second chance clinching her Olympic berth with a timing of 2:06.80.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2016