Hackett chasing Phelps and history

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Distance master Grant Hackett has never backed away from a challenge. And he isn’t about to start now.

Hackett confirmed he will chase an unprecedented four freestyle titles at next month’s world swimming championships in Montreal by adding the 200m freestyle to his program.

Standing in his way in the four-lap race is one of the greatest swimmers of all time in American superstar Michael Phelps.

The Baltimore Bullet has the wood over Hackett in the event, having torched him in lead-off relay legs and in the Olympic final last year.

Athens bronze medallist Phelps is the warm favourite for the 200m following the decision of Olympic champion Ian Thorpe and silver medallist Pieter van Den Hoogenband to skip the meet.

However Hackett has never dodged racing against swimming phenomenons, having spent his career racing in the shadow of Thorpe in middle distance events.

The Queenslander’s decision to swim the 200m comes after the American decided this year to venture into one of Hackett’s prime events, the 400m freestyle.

Australian head coach Alan Thompson denied Hackett was spreading himself too thin by taking on the 200m, following his well-documented health problems last year.

“Grant is a very experienced athlete and Denis (Cotterell) is a very experienced coach, they know what he is doing in training they know what he is capable of doing,” he said.

Thompson felt Hackett’s decision to swim the 200m added spice to a world championships missing big names such as Thorpe and Van Den Hoogenband.

“It certainly does, the challenge was put out there by Phelps in the 400 and now there is going to be a very competitive race in the 200,” said Thompson.

“I think that all just adds to the excitement we are going to have in Montreal and they are just fantastic athletes and anytime you see a group of fantastic athletes up against each other it is always very exciting.”

Hackett dropped the 200m following his serious chest problems which plagued him last year.

However, a more cautious approach to training has seen the Gold Coast swimmer overcome his health problems, and he was in stunning form at the trials in March.

The national team captain reflected his new approach by missing this weekend’s Telstra Grand Prix meet in Canberra with a sore throat.

Alice Mills (cold) sat out the meet while Libby Lenton missed the final day of racing because of a mild asthma problem.

Jodie Henry (55.09 seconds) and Michael Klim (22.81s) were the shining lights in the 100m and 50m freestyle respectively.

Breaststroker Leisel Jones (2:27.98) also showed good form with a comfortable win in the 200m.