Konzerte » got to learn to do a better job of closing t

GOLD COAST, Australia -- Michael Phelps got a reminder of just how challenging his return to international competition may be when he was asked whether he was good enough to even reach a final at the Pan Pacific Championships this week. "Wow, youre really setting the bar high for me!" the most decorated swimmer of all time joked in reply. Sitting beside him at a news conference Wednesday, Phelps long-time coach Bob Bowman chipped in: "Reality check there." The Pan Pacs start Thursday and run through the weekend. Its stage two of Phelps comeback from retirement -- the first was qualifying for the U.S. team. Now Bowman is predicting Phelps will lower his best times in his butterfly, medley and freestyle, saying the challenge of going faster was the only reason the 18-time Olympic champion came back to the sport. Phelps qualified by finishing second in the 200-meter medley and the 100 butterfly at the U.S. nationals, and will be swimming in his first international meet since coming out of retirement four months ago with the aim of competing again at the world titles and Olympics. Only the top two swimmers from each country qualify for the finals, so Phelps is going to be under pressure from his American teammates in the morning preliminaries, and from the best swimmers from Australia, Japan, Canada, Brazil and other Pacific countries in the evening finals. Hell start with the 100 freestyle on Friday, which will feature seven Americans in the heats. Hell also contest the 100 butterfly, the 200 medley and potentially some relays. Phelps didnt win any of his four events at the U.S. nationals, although his times in the 200 IM and the butterfly were both among the fastest three in the world this year. He was unhappy with his freestyle, where his finish let him down. He said it was the kind of mistake an 11-year-old would make. Phelps, who won eight of his 18 Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, said he was "kind of rusty on judging the speed going into my walls," and described his turns as "awful." "Those were the big things that I guess I forgot how to do," he said. "Not winning, it is what it is -- I hate to lose -- but I always do understand its not going to come back instantly. "I would rather have those instances now than farther down the road. World championships is next year ... Olympics the year after that. Hopefully Ill be able to fix the things now." The U.S. team had a setback ahead of the competition, with Olympic and world champion Missy Franklin in doubt after hurting her back in training. Team USA spokesman Scott Leightman said Franklin had back spasms during practice Tuesday. The 19-year-old Franklin was resting at the team hotel after medical staff controlled the spasms and issued a statement later Wednesday saying she was feeling better with every hour and still hopeful of competing. Leightman said Franklin, who won both the 100- and 200-meter backstroke at the 2012 Olympics and claimed six golds at the world championships last year, would be re-evaluated before the preliminaries of the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle on Thursday. The Australian team is primed for a big performance at home after a winning the swimming competition at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The competition will be held outdoors at the Gold Coast Aquatic Center, site of the 2018 Commonwealth Games swimming, and rain forecast for later in the week is giving swimmers something extra to think about. Phelps said it would be a novel experience for him. His friend and long-time rival, Ryan Lochte, said he grew up in Florida and was used to competing in rain. "You have to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario. The coaches told us about the weather conditions -- were all prepared for it," he said. Lochte and Phelps have long dominated the 200 IM, but arent even seeded No. 1 at the Pan Pacs. Japans Kosuke Hagino has the fastest time of the year and his teammate Diaya Seto is also a contender. "Its no longer just me and Michael. Its definitely become a bigger event, and bigger race," Lochte said. If Franklin is ruled out, more attention on the U.S. womens team will centre on 17-year-old Katie Ledecky, who broke the 400 freestyle world record at the nationals and now holds world marks in the 400, 800 and 1,500. "I can improve. I got some good work in after nationals. Im really excited to see what I can do here," Ledecky said. Nick Chubb Jersey . The announcement was made by the hall on Friday, March 14. She joins Switzerlands Denise Biellmann as this years inductees to the Hall, based in Colorado Springs, CO. Myles Garrett Jersey .Y. -- Sore nose and all, Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to help Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 5-3 on Friday night, snapping the Penguins mini-slump and slowing the Sabres late-season surge. http://www.officialclevelandbrownspro.co...-browns-jersey/. -- Hee Young Park topped the leaderboard at 8 under Friday in the suspended second round of the Kingsmill Championship. Cleveland Browns Jerseys . Although Spain could still advance out of the group stage, the game may have signalled the end of the run by a generation of Spanish stars whose quick passing, "tiki-taka" style delighted the world and helped them win the last three major tournaments. Denzel Ward Jersey .B. -- Canadian pairs skaters Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford went from elated to frustrated in the span of a few minutes.Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Vincent Trocheck had a goal and two assists to guide the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Jimmy Hayes posted a goal and an assist while Aaron Ekbald and Sean Bergenheim also scored for the Panthers, who have won three of their last four. Roberto Luongo turned away 38 shots in the win. Weve got to learn to do a better job of closing things out, said Luongo. But the sooner we learn how to win these one-goal games the better off well be. Pavel Datsyuk posted a goal and an assist while Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar also scored for the Red Wings, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Jimmy Howard allowed four goals on 31 shots in the loss. Hockey is an honest and fair game and you have to be honest with your work preparation, said Detroit head coach Mike Babcock. As a coaching staff we have to do a better job of getting the guys prepared. Florida took a 4-1 lead eight minutes into the third when Ekbalds slap shot in the high slot hit off a Red Wing and went in for his fourth goal of the season. Detroit cut its deficit to two just 1:32 later as Datsyuk snapped the disc home from the left side during a scrum in front for his 10th of the season.dddddddddddd Detroit made it a one-goal game after pulling the goaltender late in the contest. Nyquist shot home a rebound from the left side with 58.7 seconds to play. That was it, though, as Florida was able to hold off the assault to escape with the victory. Detroit scored the initial goal of the game on the power play at 6:47 of the first when Tatar redirected Datsyuks shot for his 10th of the season. Florida, though, tied the game on Hayes marker at 15:11 as he snapped home a rebound down low. Bergenheim gave Florida a 2-1 lead with the only goal of the second at 12:21 on a one-timer from the right circle, and Trocheck scored 27 seconds into the third on a steal and feed from Jonathan Huberdeau. Game Notes Florida hosts Columbus on Thursday ... Detroit hosts Dallas on Thursday ... 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