Beijing: Ryan Lochte was shaping as a dual threat to American teammates Aaron Peirsol and Michael Phelps with the fastest heat times on Wednesday in two events at the Beijing Olympics.
Peirsol, gunning for back-to-back Olympic double backstroke gold, was gearing for a showdown with Lochte in the 200 metres backstroke, while history-chasing Phelps will have Lochte as his main rival in the 200 medley.
The 25-year-old Peirsol led an American one-two with Matt Grevers in the 100m final on Tuesday when he carved 0.35secs off his world record with a time of 52.54secs and it looked like becoming another American gold medal shoot-out in the longer race.
Peirsol cleared away with the 200m Athens final by 2.4 seconds over Austrian Markus Rogan, but the the Beijing event looks a tougher proposition.
"I used to own this event, but now I realise those records in the past don't mean anything," Peirsol said. "I'm sure there's going to be a race (with Lochte), I guess I'm pretty excited about it."
Lochte and Peirsol, the joint world record holders, were only six-hundredths of a second apart as the leading qualifiers in the opening heats of the 200m back.
Lochte went 1:56.29 and Peirsol put in a 1:56.35 to loom as the major gold medal contenders ahead to Friday's final.
Lochte, who downed Peirsol in world record time at last year's world championships in Melbourne, said he felt stronger than he did in taking bronze in the 400m medley won by Phelps on Sunday.
"I feel a lot better now, I feel like I got my strength back," he said. "I am happy that I put a good one under my belt this morning, so I am just going to keep the ball rolling."
Lochte was also fastest with 1:58.15 in the heats of the 200m medley with Phelps, bidding for a record eight gold medals, sixth best (1:58.65).
"I was that close at trials and this is no different, this is just another race," Lochte said.
Although Phelps has won five gold medals in five world records, Lochte said he hadn't given up hope of scuppering his famous teammate.
"No doubt about what Michael is doing in the pool - it's amazing - but this is just another chance," he said.
Phelps, following up his 200m butterfly and 4x200m free relay triumphs of the morning, said: "I'm just trying to get through everything."
World champion and record holder Libby Trickett was sixth-fastest in opening heats for the women's 100m freestyle behind Finland's Hanna-Maria Seppala.
The Australian sprinter clocked 53.99, over a second outside her world record ahead of Thursday's semi-finals.
Seppala won the fastest heat in 53.60 ahead of former world record holder Britta Steffen (53.67) and Dutch star Marleen Veldhuis (53.76).
"I think people will be a bit surprised I will be going in as the fastest," Seppala said. "Libby Trickett has to be the favourite, she is very fast."
Trickett said it would take a quick time just to make the last eight for Friday's final.
"Fifty-three something. That's amazing in itself, 53.8 won the last Olympics and that's what it's going to take to make the final," Trickett said.
Australia's breaststroke queen Leisel Jones cruised through the opening heats of the 200m event in 2:23.81, three seconds outside her best time.
American Rebecca Soni was quickest into Thursday's semi-finals in 2:22.17.
"It's nice to know I am still three seconds over my best and that didn't take too much out of me," said Jones, who broke through for her first individual Olympic gold in Tuesday's 100m final ahead of Soni.
Soni was keen on her chances of turning the tables.
"The silver medal has put me in a good place and the 200m is my better event, so there is plenty left in the tank," she said.
France swam a European and Olympic record 7:50.37 ahead of the USA (7:52.43) and Italy (7:53.38) to lead the way into Thursday's women's 4x200 freestyle relay final.
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