Erik Vendt is now sixth fastest all-time over 30 laps, a US Open record 14:47.59 at the Missouri Grand Prix setting him up as one among at least 12 who could gun for medals in what promises to be a thriller of a 1,500m final in Beijing come August. A second per hundred off the pace in second was Mission Viejo teammate Chad La Tourette, with Fran Crippen, on 15:20.74, helping to keep the California club's distance tradition alive.

Katie Hoff completed her grand prix with an 8:27.32 win over 800m freestyle, and Rachel Komisarz reminded the big butterfly medal winners on the international stage that she is but a whisker away, with a feisty 57.92. US-based Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) got closer to Natalie Coughlin in the 100m backstroke with a 59.47 win that left her with the third-best performance ever, behind the Olympic champion's two best efforts, while Longhorn Aquatics team-mate Hayley McGregory moved up a gear to 1:00.22. Coventry and Hoff were back to draw swords in the 200m medley, and the Zimbabwean drew blood with a 2:10.08 to 2:10.23 victory.

Michael Phelps took the early psychological lead over world record holder Ian Crocker in the 100m butterfly, 51.52 putting him 0.48sec ahead of one of the men most likely to deny him a ticket to Back-and-Beyond-Spitz land this summer, Brazil's Kaio Almeida took third in 52.60.

For seven years now, Aaron Peirsol has kept the world at bay over 100m backstroke, and that world includes Superfish: Phelps was 0,14sec adrift when Peirsol stopped the clock at 53.56, with David Cromwell third on 54.40. A Phelps-free 200m medley was won in 2:00.24 by Thiago Pereira (BRA), with Tamas Kerekjarto (HUN), at Trojan Swim Club, on 2:01.92.

On breaststroke, Brendan Hansen, world champion, took the 100m in 1:00.85 to the 1:01.24 and 1:01.46 of Mark Gangloff and Scott Usher. Tara Kirk held off American-record holder Jessica Hardy 1:07.25 to 1:07.89.

 The 2007-2008 Toyota Grand Prix Series now moves to the Stanford Invitational Grand Prix in Palo Alto, California, home town of Matt Biondi, and The Ohio State University Grand Prix in Columbus, Ohio, both meets on April 3-6.