Article by: BETH HARRIS , Associated Press
· Updated:
matchups (比赛)
bodysuits (紧身衣裤)
freestyle
butterfly
medley relay (混合泳接力)
backstroke (仰泳)
the top dog (胜利者;夺魁者;主要人物)
the totem pole (图腾柱)
squad [体育运动的运动（代表）队]
grueling (紧张的,激烈的)
emerged from Phelps' long shadow
in the best shape
four laps (一圈)
SHANGHAI - Michael Phelps kept telling everyone he wasn't in shape at the world championships. Winning seven medals, including four golds, didn't change his mind.
What Phelps didn't do — and Ryan Lochte did — was most telling.
Lochte beat Phelps in both of their matchups (比赛), and he set the first world record since high-tech bodysuits (紧身衣裤) were banned 19 months ago while winning five golds and a bronze over eight days at the Oriental Sports Center.
The Americans' ongoing rivalry promises to make things interesting on the road to next year's London Olympics.
"I don't really think I'm the top dog (胜利者;夺魁者;主要人物)," Lochte said.
"No matter what the outcome of the end-of-the-year championship meet, right afterwards I knock myself down to the bottom of the totem pole (图腾柱). I have a whole year to work hard, train hard to get back up there to the top."
No doubt Phelps will be there waiting for him.
"This is 2011. It's not 2012, and it's not the Olympic Games," Phelps said. "I've been able to gather more motivation here than I already had."
Both Phelps and Lochte earned gold medals Sunday, when the
The American team claimed 29 swimming medals — 16 gold, five silver and eight bronze — to greatly improve upon its performance from two years ago in Rome.
There, the
"2012 is something they can't wait to get to,"
Swimming the butterfly leg, Phelps rallied the Americans from fourth to second before Nathan Adrian held off fast-closing Australian James Magnussen to win the medley relay (混合泳接力) in 3 minutes, 32.06 seconds.
The Americans were third after Nick Thoman's opening backstroke (仰泳) leg before dropping to fourth on Mark Gangloff's breaststroke leg.
"I actually kind of like going in the water somewhat behind because it gives me a little bit more motivation," Phelps said. "That was fun."
Lochte wasn't included on the U.S. squad [体育运动的运动（代表）队] for the final relay because he'd raced the grueling (紧张的,激烈的) 400 IM, winning in 4:07.13 — a whopping (巨大的,庞大的) 4.85 seconds ahead of teammate Tyler Clary, who took silver. Yuya Horihata of
"I'm kind of upset because I wanted to go faster," Lochte said.
He also won the 200 IM and 200 freestyle — beating Phelps in both — and the 200 backstroke, along with a gold in the 800 free relay and a bronze in the 400 free relay.
"Getting five gold medals is definitely great, but the times that I went, I know I can go a lot faster," Lochte said. "There's a lot of places in my races that I messed up on, but I guess I have a whole other year to make sure I have those perfect swims."
Lochte's world record came against Phelps in the 200 IM, an effort he called his best moment of the meet.
"A lot of people thought that a world record would never get touched after they banned those suits," he said.
Lochte emerged from Phelps' long shadow in
"Ryan is clearly working hard and is clearly in the best shape he's probably ever been in," Phelps said. "That's why he's swimming the way he is."
Phelps pronounced himself "fairly satisfied" with his performance, knowing it was the result of training seriously for just the last eight months.
"I've said this 100 times this week and I'll say it 100 more, to swim fast you got to be in good shape," he said.
In the 1,500 free, Sun was more than two seconds off Hackett's pace with four laps (一圈) to go in swimming's version of the mile, but he accelerated on the final two laps to finish in 14:34.14, improving on Hackett's mark of 14:34.56 set at the 2001 worlds.
"I was not obsessed with the world record before the final, because I wanted to focus on my plan," Sun said. "My goal is to win the gold."
Hackett's mark was the oldest in the book, the only one to withstand the record deluge during the polyurethane (聚亚安酯) era of 2008 and 2009. Sun is coached by Hackett's former mentor, Dennis Cotterell.
The 19-year-old Chinese also won the 800 free, along with a silver in the 400 and a bronze on
"After winning the gold medal, I think more and more people will pay more attention to me," Sun said. "There's no doubt I will feel more pressure, but I'm still young and I don't want to be burdened by gigantic pressures. So next year, I will keep a relaxed mindset so I can handle future races."
In the women's 400 IM, American Elizabeth Beisel won in 4:31.78 — 2.44 seconds ahead of Britain's Hannah Miley, who touched a hundredth of a second ahead of Aussie star Stephanie Rice for the silver.
Therese Alshammar, the 33-year-old Swedish sprint star, won the 50 free, becoming the oldest world champion in women's swimming. She touched in 24.14 seconds. Dutch teammates Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Marleen Veldhuis claimed the other medals.
In two non-Olympic events, American Jessica Hardy reclaimed the world title in the 50 breaststroke that she lost two years ago during a doping ban, and Britain's Liam Hancock won the 50 back.