American swimmer Ryan Lochte steps up bid

BEIJING, April 11 -- American swimmer Ryan Lochte is stepping up his preparations for the Beijing Olympics.

The Floridian swam heats in three different events within the space of 90 minutes yesterday at the short-course world championships in Manchester.

First, Lochte began the defense of his 400-meter individual medley title by qualifying fifth. Then he posted a personal best in the 50 freestyle with a third-place finish. He rounded out the morning by rallying the American team to victory over Britain in the anchor leg of the final 800 freestyle relay heat.

How is he managing so many events in so little time?

"I'm not really managing it. I'm dead," Lochte said, visibly fatigued. "But that's what I've got to do if I want to do this at the Olympic trials and the Olympics. I've got to start preparing here."

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Lochte took silver in the 200 individual medley and was a member of the US team that finished second in the 800 freestyle relay.

Lochte would like to race five events in Beijing - 100 and 200 backstroke, 200 and 400 medley and "maybe the 100 or 200 free" - plus relays.

On Wednesday, Lochte led off the American team that set the world record in the 400 freestyle relay.

While the Olympic torch relay is plagued by protests, Lochte's focus is strictly on racing.

"We can't be thinking about that," he said of the torch relay. "We've got to keep our focus here."

Thomas Haffield of Britain led the men's 400 IM heats in 4:09.22, 0.07 ahead of Robert Margalis of the United States, with Lochte fifth in 4:10.52.

Mark Foster was the big attraction for the fans inside the MEN Arena, and the 37-year-old Briton did not disappoint, qualifying second in the men's 50 free.

Foster has won this event four times, the last occasion coming in 2004 in Indianapolis.

"The unnecessary evils are the heats for the finals, you have to do them or you don't get into the final," said Foster, who recently came out of retirement and qualified for the Olympics. "When you expect to be in the final, expect to be competing for medals, these early rounds are when you can mess up. I thought I would end up 10th, but second is a bit of a pleasant surprise."

Bryan Lundquist of the United States led the heats in 21.44. Foster finished in 21.60 and Lochte was third in 21.61.

"I'm pretty pleased with that time," Lundquist said. "We don't do short-course at home. We train in yards, so it's a little tricky."

Defending champion Duje Draganja of Croatia qualified fourth for the evening semifinals.

The final is scheduled for today.

Alain Bernard of France, who swept both the 50 and 100 free at the long-course European Championships last month, is not competing.

Kirsty Coventry looked fresh after her world record in the 400 individual medley on Wednesday, qualifying second in the 100 IM heats.

Francesca Halsall of Britain led the women's 100 free heats in 53.24, and Dutch standout Inge Dekker was fastest in the women's 50 butterfly heats in 25.96.