Swimming: Phelps to switch gears at world champs

GREENBELT, Maryland - Michael Phelps' march to the Beijing Games begins at the 2005 world swimming championships, where the eight-time Olympic medallist will "switch gears" and try some new freestyle events.

Phelps will swim the 100m and 400m freestyles -- as an underdog -- while giving up his most dominating events, the 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly.

"I'm going to switch gears and see what happens," Phelps said today.

"It's a good change. It will keep me interested and more in-tune to what's going on."

Phelps will swim in five individual events and three relays at the world championships, which began in Montreal this week.

Phelps, who won six golds and two bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, appears to enjoy the underdog role in his newly chosen events.

Australian Grant Hackett, for one, is expected to hit the wall before Phelps in the 400m freestyle.

"I like to race, I like to compete," said the 20-year-old Phelps. "The 400 is going to be a tough race. Hackett has been very, very dominant, very strong. It's my job to step up and try to race him. I'll try to go out after it and see what happens."

Australia's Ian Thorpe and the Netherlands' Pieter van den Hoogenband -- both of whom beat Phelps in Athens -- will sit out the championships.

- REUTERS