LONG BEACH, Calif., July 8 (UPI) -- Michael Phelps easily qualified for the finals Thursday night in the 200-meter freestyle as he continued his bid for Olympic history.
Brendan Hansen, meanwhile, set a world record in the 100-meter breaststroke on the second evening of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.
Phelps is trying to qualify for the Olympics in six individual events and began that attempt Wednesday night by setting a world record in the 400-meter individual medley. He turned in the best time Thursday night in the 200 freestyle semifinals with a clocking of 1:47.42.
The final in that event will be Friday night. Phelps could challenge the Olympic record of seven gold medals, set by Mark Spitz in 1972.
Hansen swam his race in 59.30, breaking the world record of 59.78 owned by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima. Mark Gangloff finished second to Hansen, thus making the U.S. Olympic team.
In the women's 100-meter butterfly, Rachel Komisarz and Jenny Thompson earned spots on the American squad. Komisarz won the final in 58.77 while Thompson turned in a 58.98.
