Phelps adds to his events

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Olympian Michael Phelps will compete in two freestyle races in the World Swimming Championships, looking to expand his skills before the 2008 Olympic Games.

Michael Phelps is in college. He has been experimenting. On Sunday, he will show the world what he has learned.

Phelps, the United States’ most celebrated athlete of the 2004 Athens Games, will hope to make an international splash in the 100- and 400-meter freestyle at the World Swimming Championships in Montreal. Phelps is not a traditional freestyle swimmer and has never competed internationally in the 100 free.

‘’I'm looking forward to being able to swim new events that I’m not used to swimming in world events,'’ said Phelps, a student at the University of Michigan.

The change in Phelps’ international regiment offers a sensational match-up against Australian Grant Hackett. Hackett enters the world championships trying to become the first swimmer in a world championship or Olympics to win four gold medals in four individual freestyle events: 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 free. Entering Montreal, Hackett is three seconds faster than Phelps in the 400. The meet runs through July 31.

Whether Phelps is planning to change his international regiment for the 2008 Beijing Games or whether the young phenom is simply adding a little spice to the swimming world is still unclear. To make room for the 100 and 400 free, Phelps dropped two of his strongest events, the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley. In a teleconference Tuesday, Phelps referred to the world championships as a ‘’baby step'’ on the road to Beijing. He made it clear that nothing is “set in stone.'’

‘’Obviously, I’ve never done this, so it keeps it exciting,'’ Phelps said.

“I want to try new things and have everything set in stone by Beijing.'’

This will be Phelps’ first major international competition since winning more individual medals than any American in one single Olympic Games.

‘’I really feel like this meet will give a true picture of where Mike is fitness wise and where he stands since Athens,'’ said Bob Bowman, Phelps’ coach. “Then we can move forward. This is the first step in preparing for Beijing.'’

This will be Phelps’ third world championships. He competed in the 2001 and 2003 and has won seven medals (five gold and two silver).

Though Phelps hasn’t competed internationally since Athens, the Baltimore native has been quite busy. The highlights include judging the Ms. United States Pageant, appearing on the sidelines during the Super Bowl and a parade through Baltimore.

Phelps has also been the subject of a documentary, which chronicles the everyday life of the international superstar, and the subject of several racy Speedo advertisements.

‘’A year ago I wouldn’t even think my life would be like this,'’ Phelps said. “I’ve had a lot of ups and down. The ups have been really high, and the downs have been really low. But it has been life.'’

The low Phelps referred to was his November DUI arrest. Phelps has attributed the incident to post-Olympic Games depression.

‘’Things can happen in a blink of an eye,'’ Phelps said. “My head wasn’t on straight. It is something I can learn a lot from and something I can pass on to others.'’

More than anything, Phelps says moving away from home and into his Ann Arbor, Mich., town house has helped in the maturing process. He trains with the Wolverine swimming team but does not compete becausehe is a professional athlete.

‘’I have to cook and clean and go the grocery store myself,'’ Phelps said.

Living alone should play to Phelps’ personality. After all, he is a swimmer. He returns to his true comfort zone Sunday.