Michael Phelps won a double of the 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly at the Charlotte swimming meet in North Carolina on Friday after a nine-month layoff from competitive swimming.
He made a triumphant return to the pool on the day, winning his first finals since his record-setting haul of eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics last August.
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| Swimmer Michael Phelps (L) answers questions as his personal coach Bob Bowman looks on during a news conference at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center in Charlotte, North Carolina May 14, 2009. Phelps is competing in the Charlotte Ultraswim this weekend, his first competition since Beijing. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
"I'm very pleased," Phelps said. "This is an excellent start. The training is going extremely well."
The 23-year-old American star won the 200 free in 1 minute and 46.02 seconds, namely 0.69 ahead of runner-up Peter Vanderkaay, and triumphed in the 100 fly in 51.72 seconds, with a margin of 1.04 seconds ahead of runner-up Tyler McGill.
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| Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps, center, laughs while visiting patients at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 14, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
Phelps won Beijing Olympic gold in the 100 and 200 butterfly, the 200 and 400 individual medley, the 200 freestyle and three relays.
Charlotte Ultra Swim is his first meet following a three-month ban for being photographed holding a bong, a pipe used to smoke marijuana.
(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2009)
