WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- American star swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte set up their first duel of the 400-meter individual medley at the US Olympic swimming trials on Monday.
Phelps, who won eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, has won the event at the previous two Olympics and still owns the world record of four minutes 3.84 seconds that he set at the Beijing Games 2008.
He clocked 4:14.72 to win his heat, while Lochte, the reigning world champion in the event, won his heat in 4:10.66.
Lochte, however, said the four-second gap would mean nothing in Monday night's final.
"I think that's the easiest 4:14 he's ever done," Lochte said of Phelps. "He looked really smooth. Tonight's going to be a dogfight -- and it's not just me and Michael, there's Tyler Clary, too."
Clary, runner-up of the event at Shanghai worlds last year, finished 4:15.88 to win his heat, which was the fourth-fastest time of the morning.
Chase Kalisz clocked 4:15.78 in the heat.
Phelps had said he would not swim the 400m medley again in major competition. But it seems he may reconsider it in London.
"We'll know more tonight if it was a good decision," said Phelps's coach Bob Bowman.
"It was all right," Phelps said of his preliminary performance. "It felt fairly relaxed."
Only the top two finishers in each event book tickets to the London Games.
Dana Vollmer, winner of the women's 100m butterfly at Shanghai worlds, led the way into the semifinals of the event in an impressive 56.59.
"I knew coming into this meet I feel better than I did at worlds," Vollmer said. "I knew I needed to get the first race in and I'd be less nervous. It felt smoother and easier than I expected that time to feel."