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My travels home started at 4:45 this morning central time when the taxi picked me up from my Omaha hotel. It was the complete polar opposite of my travel to Omaha over the weekend, down to the size of the seats on the plane. I even arrived home 25 minutes earlier than scheduled.

Olympic Trials was another amazing experience. I was in Long Beach in 2004 but only as a spectator, and the highlight of that meet was as much a side trip to Las Vegas as it was the meet itself. Being at the meet as a coach, gaining access to the pool deck and getting the chance to speak with some of the greatest coaches EVER made this a great experience. I will be the first to admit that I was not really happy to come home today as I felt the meet was just picking up steam last evening. However I am very happy to be getting back to the rest of the team as we prepare for Senior Champs, Sectionals, Junior Olympics, Junior Nationals, and Zones. Being at Trials for the past few days has given me a burst of energy and excitement I aim to pass along to the swimmers as we prepare for the end of the season. I hope each of you are gaining the same level of excitement as you watch Trials at home.

Two days into the meet and there is already four or five viable arguments as to what the "Race of the Meet" is at this point. One could easily push for the Phelps-Lochte duel in the final of the Men's 400 IM; the four way race and photo finish in the Men's 400 Free; two women under the American Record and one under the World Record in the 400 IM...but the most exciting portion of the meet for me was the back-to-back World Records in the preliminary heats of the Women's 100 Back. Hayley McGregory broke Natalie Coughlin's World Record in the second to last preliminary heat, with Coughlin standing over her lane ready to jump in the water for the final heat. After McGregory hit the wall I turned to the person next to me and said, "What's the World Record for shortest amount of time to hold a World Record?" Sure enough, Coughlin reclaimed her Record in the very next heat. Both women were a bit slower at night, possibly just looking to make the final heat and not be as concerned with their time. However that race could see two women breaking the 59 second barrier for the first time this evening.

The exact scenario that unfolded in the Women's 100 Back could present itself again during today's preliminary heats of the Women's 200 IM with Coughlin again a part of the festivities. She broke Kaite Hoff's American Record a few weeks ago at a meet in Los Angeles and is the top seed today. It would not surprise me whatsoever if Whitney Myers breaks the American Record in Heat 13, Hoff breaks that record in Heat 14, and Coughlin again reclaims her American Record in the final heat. The shame of it all is that one of these three amazing swimmers will not swim the 200 IM in Beijing when all three are definite medal contenders.

Oh, and Michael Phelps swims the 200 Fly today to begin his quest to make the Olympic Team for the third time in this event (he was a 15 year old on the 2000 Olympic Team).