Michael Phelps Takes Second in 400 IM Trials

It's official—Towson's Michael Phelps will be the first American swimmer to compete in four Olympics, but not without a fight.

Ryan Lochte pulled away from Phelps in the finals for the 400 meter individualized medley in Omaha Monday night, finishing in 4:07.06, NBC Sports reports. That's the fastest time seen in the 400 IM since Michael Phelps set the world record (4:03.84) in Beijing in 2008.

Phelps finished just .83 seconds behind.

The second-place finish, however, is enough to make the Olympic squad in London, and Phelps told NBC on the broadcast after the race that he plans to swim the 400 IM in London.

"We've always had deep, stacked fields and being able to come and get the first race out of the way ... was something very important for me to do tonight," Phelps told NBC after the race, standing next to Lochte. "The race that counts happens in a couple of weeks."

Lochte echoed his competitor's sentiments, saying, "Really the big step is the US taking over the world in a couple of weeks.

"I feel like I'm the hunter trying to catch him still."

The two will have another chance to go at it. The American swimming trials continue through next Monday.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Phelps has kept the rest of his plans for the trials close to his chest, though he's currently signed up for the 200 IM, 100- and 200-meter butterflies, 100- and 200-meter freestyles and the 200-meter backstroke. On the women's side, another Towson swimmer, Katie Hoff, will swim in the 200- and 400-meter freestyles.