No fireworks from weary Phelps at grand prix

By Steve Keating

COLUMBUS, OHIO (Reuters) - A weary Michael Phelps began another weekend in his build up to the Beijing Olympics with a win at the Columbus Grand Prix on Friday but could not match the record-breaking achievements from around the world.

While at least 15 world records have been broken in recent meets across Europe and Australia, the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion hosting Phelps and several other American swimmers expected to be in Beijing generated only pedestrian results.

Phelps, exhausted from a heavy training regime, swam three finals in 52 minutes on Friday, posting a win in the 100 meter butterfly to go along with a second in the 200m freestyle and fourth in the 100m breaststroke.

"Decent breast, didn't really take out the freestyle like I wanted to and going into the butterfly my mentality was I wanted at least one win today," Phelps told reporters after clocking 51.90 in the butterfly. "I left just about everything I had in the pool for that race.

"We've been getting absolutely destroyed, in the weight room and the pool. I feel like a brick in the water.

"Our weights are going up a lot and I don't know the last time I did this much meters, 14,000 to 15,000 every day.

"I guess the faster I can swim like this the better off I will be at the end."

The end of the road for Phelps will be at the Beijing Olympics where he is expected to try to challenge Mark Spitz's record of seven Olympic gold medals at a single Games.