Records fall at US trials

Six-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff set 400m individual medley world records at the US Olympic Trials in Omaha.

Phelps broke his own world record with a time of 4mins 05.22secs, to secure his place in Beijing alongside runner-up Ryan Lochte.

Phelps, who broke his previous mark of 4:06.22, rushed past Lochte – who stayed neck-and-neck until the final turn.

“I was fired up for the finals, and I just went out there and did what I could to get my hand on the wall first,” said Phelps.

In a thrilling final, Phelps and Lochte quickly turned the event into a two-man race and gave the crowd a rush on the final lap – with Phelps nosing ahead after the final turn, catching a crucial burst and winning by less than a body length.

In the women’s 400 metre individual medley, Hoff beat Stephanie Rice’s mark of 4:31.46 to qualify for Beijing in a time of 4:31.12. She will be joined at the Olympics by 15-year-old Elizabeth Beisel, who was comfortably beaten into second.