IRVINE As Michael Phelps and Tom Shields reached in near unison for the finishing wall Friday night, it appeared as if the Olympic great would edge the rising star from Huntington Beach. But Shields’ arms found some magic under water to flip the script by the narrowest of margin.
The former Edison and Cal standout then literally flipped himself.
But after beating Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly at the Phillips 66 National Championships, Shields’ exuberance seemed understandable.
Shields, 23, out-touched the three-time defending Olympic champion and world-record holder by one one-hundredths of a second for the victory in a lifetime-best 51.29 seconds before a packed crowd of more than 3,000 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center.
The recently unretired Phelps, 29, finished second in 51.30, about a tenth of a second off his world-leading 51.17 in the morning prelims. When Shields realized that he won, he reached to splash and spun as if he was at a water park.
“It was a dream come true,” Shields said of a victory he shared with his family, friends and Cal teammates. “Being between Michael and Ryan (Lochte), I was so stoked. I grew up watching those guys, worshiping them. … To do it in front of a home crowd … was just awesome.”
Positioned in Lane 3 between Phelps in Lane 4 and Lochte in Lane 2, Shields matched Phelps’ underwater streamline off the blocks but Tim Phillips of North Carolina’s SwimMAC touched first at the turn with Shields slotted fourth and the sport’s ultimate closer, Phelps, lurking in the bunched field at seventh.
But on the second lap, Phelps surged toward the lead, and along with Shields and Phillips, raced together under the flags.
Then came the last touch. There seemed to be no short, quick final strokes like Phelps’ miraculous touch to beat Michael Cavic (Tustin) at the 2008 Olympics by one one-hundredth of a second. Shields was just faster to the wall than Phelps.
Amazingly, Shields and Phelps tied for first in the 100 butterfly at the Santa Clara Grand Prix earlier this summer.
“I just saw it was going to be close,” Shields said. “I just took one look. Phelps swims with these ridiculously high elbows. So I saw that and was like, ‘Man, those are ahead of me. I need to get moving.’ ”
Phelps was disappointed with the loss in an event that he has captured about a dozen times at nationals. But he did qualify for the Pan Pacific Championships later this month in Australia, part of the road to next year’s World Championships in Russia.
“I’m somebody who can’t stand to lose,” Phelps said. “(But) I’d rather lose a national championship and win an Olympics or World Championships medal than worry about these.”
Bob Bowman, Phelps’ coach with North Baltimore, thought his star was nervous before the race.
“I think he just needs to go home and put in some more practices,” Bowman said. “It’s not fitness but it’s the knowledge that he’s getting up here against these guys who are on fire and he knows what he’s done to get here.”
In other words, more training will bring back the confidence, something Shields clearly has had this week. Shields won the 200 fly on the opening night of the meet.
“He’s having the meet of his life,” Bowman said of Shields.
USC’s Kendyl Stewart won the women’s 100 fly in 57.98. Katie McLaughlin of the Mission Viejo Nadadores placed fourth in 59.03. Trojans’ Jessica Hardy claimed the 50 breaststroke in a meet-record 30.12.
Tyler Clary of North Carolina’s SwimMAC (4:09.51) and former Florida standout Elizabeth Beisel (4:32.98) won the 400 individual medleys.
