Combined with a likely spot on all three relays, the 26-year-old from Baltimore - already the winningest Olympian ever - would have a chance to duplicate his record from the Beijing Games if he doesn't stumble over the next three days. Phelps said he'll have to go even faster in London to claim his third straight gold in the 200 fly. But he appears to be getting stronger every day. "It's not a good enough time to win a gold medal, but I think I'm OK with it," he said. Going into the last wall. I didn't want to have any close ones, so I tried to stay under as long as I could. Today was the best my stroke has felt throughout the whole meet. Tyler Clary, who lost out to Phelps in the 400 individual medley, rallied from behind for a time of 1:55.12, edging Bobby Bollier's touch of 1:55.79. When Phelps got out of the water, he walked side-by-side with Clary along the deck, patting the first-time Olympian on the back of the head. "When I got out I said to him, `It's pretty cool to make your first one,' and he goes, `You have no idea how good that feels,"' Phelps said. It was definitely cool to watch his excitement, and swimming with him for a couple of years of school, you see how much of a hard worker he is. It's cool to see everything pay off. Clary was the silver medalist behind Lochte in the 400 IM at last year's world championships, but Phelps restored the event to his program and Clary wound up third at the trials - out of the Olympics. Now, London's calling. "It was amazing," Clary said. I can't even put into words how the end of that race felt, not only the pain in the last 20 meters but just the complete and total turnaround. "I'm on cloud nine right now," he added She's more excited about being on the 800 free relay. "Relays are such a big part of what we do," Franklin said. Being part of a team is so special. Caitlin Leverenz locked up two events at her first Olympics with a victory in the 200 individual medley. Already a runner-up in the 400 IM, she was dominating on the final two legs - breaststroke and freestyle - and pulled away to win in 2:10.22. "Typically people close on me in the freestyle, so I just put my head down and went for it," Leverenz said. Ariana Kukors, who won gold in the event at the 2009 world championships and was third at last year's worlds, rallied to claim a spot on her first Olympic team, as well. She touched second in 2:11.30, just 25-hundredths ahead of Elizabeth Pelton, who led the first two laps but couldn't hang on. Lochte didn't have any finals on this day, and he passed on a chance to swim in the 100 free final Friday because he didn't want it to take away from his stronger events. Merely looking to strengthen his bid for another relay spot, Lochte tied for fifth-fastest in the semifinals (48.91), good enough for a spot in the final if he had wanted it. But Lochte has the 200 backstroke and 200 IM on Friday, and he's the defending world champion in both. "I have a hard double tomorrow," he said. I know I have a enough time to do the 100 free, but we already made a plan going into this meet that I was just going to do semifinals of 100 free, and then whatever happens, happens. When Lochte scratched, 36-year-old Jason Lezak moved up to take the final spot in the final. Of course, he was the sprinter who saved Phelps' bid for eight gold medals in Beijing with a stunning last leg of the 400 free relay, somehow passing French star Alain Bernard. "He better owe me something," Lochte joked when asked about giving Lezak another chance to get back to the Olympics. Also Thursday, Clark Burckle was top qualifier in the 200 breaststroke semifinals, while favorites Eric Shanteau and Brendan Hansen advanced with the second- and third-fastest times. Cammile Adams was fastest in the women's 200 fly semifinals, followed by Kathleen Hersey and Teresa Crippen. Crippen is the sister of the late Fran Crippen, an American open water star who died during a 2010 race, and she's hoping to carry his legacy all the way to London.