Melvin Stewart barely missed becoming the first man to set a world record at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.
"I wish I could say I clipped my fingernails and that was the difference," he said, solidifying his image as the comedian of the American men's team.Stewart won the 200-meter butterfly Thursday in 1 minute, 55.72 seconds, the second-fastest performance in history. He missed his own world record of 1:55.69 by three-hundredths of a second.
David Wharton was second in 1:59.66. Both had qualified for U.S. Olympic team in earlier events.
Summers Sanders and Nicole Haislett each qualified in their third individual event by finishing one-two in the 200 individual medley. Sanders' time of 2:13.10 was short of Tracy Caulkins' American record of 2:12.64. Haislett finished in 2:14.49.
Matt Biondi won the latest showdown in his nine-year rivalry with Tom Jager in the 50 freestyle.
Biondi, who won it at the 1988 Olympics, and Jager, who finished second in Seoul but holds the world record, finished one-two and next will meet in Barcelona.
Janet Evans kept intact her 800 freestyle unbeaten streak that began in August 1987. The three-time Olympic gold medalist qualified for her second event by winning the 800 free in 8:27.24.