ATHENS, Ga. -- Michael Phelps surged to the wall and quickly searched for the scoreboard. He liked what he saw. Phelps turned in perhaps the most impressive performance so far in his comeback, posting the third-fastest time in the world this year while easily beating rival Ryan Lochte in the 100-meter butterfly at the Bulldog Grand Slam on Friday night. Despite some problems with his turn, Phelps had the packed house roaring when he touched in 51.67 seconds, considerably faster than the 52.11 he posted at the Santa Clara Grand Prix three weeks ago. Lochte was a distant second in 53.08. "I wanted to get under 52," Phelps said, breaking into a big smile. "I was sick and tired of seeing 52.1." He had no trouble finishing ahead of Lochte, though it really wasnt a fair fight. Phelps longtime foe also competed in the 200 freestyle, winning the "B" final less than an hour before he returned to the water to face a rested Phelps. More important for Lochte -- his left knee seemed to hold up well. This is his first meet for the laid-back Floridian since he reinjured the surgically repaired knee at the Mesa Grand Prix in April. It was initially hurt late last year when he tried to catch an exuberant fan and fell into a curb, requiring surgery. "I hope I lose," said Lochte, who plans to swim a grueling six events in Athens. "It will just make me more hungry." Phelps is set to swim three events at the weekend meet on the University of Georgia campus, a hastily arranged event that gave some of the top swimmers on the East Coast a chance to swim one more time competitively before the next months national championships in Irvine, California. The results from nationals, as well as the Pan Pacific Championships being held in Australia later in August, will determine the U.S. team for the 2015 world championships. Phelps seems to be right on course, at least in his signature fly, finishing just 0.46 off the time that won the gold at the 2012 London Olympics. The only faster times this year were Thomas Dals 51.44 in the Belgian Open and Viacheslav Prudnikovs 51.60 at the Russian national championships. "I am very pleased with being able to go 51," Phelps said. "But in the grand scheme of things, I think its just a small steppingstone to go where we hope to be." He is still struggling with the consistency of his stroke. When things are going well, Phelps needs 16 strokes to cover the first 50 metres, 18 for the return lap. When hes just a little off, he winds up gliding into the wall too much, either when hes making his flip turn or coming to the finish. "I was kind of bummed that I still cant hit a wall correctly," Phelps said. Added his coach, Bob Bowman, "He looked crazy coming off the wall." All in all, though, no complaints. Phelps, who retired after the last Olympics and stayed away from the pool for more than a year, didnt come back to tarnish his legacy, which includes 18 golds and 22 medals overall -- far more than any other Olympic athlete. "I always set high expectations for myself, no matter what Im doing," he said. "Bob and I have a plan of what I want to do. He knows what its going to take to get there." In other events, French Olympic star Yannick Agnel took the mens 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 47.27 seconds, followed by U.S. Olympians Conor Dywer (1:47.44) and Connor Jaeger (1:47.94). Lochte, swimming in that consolation final, actually posted the fourth-fastest time of the evening at 1:48.69, some 4 seconds faster than he went in the morning preliminaries while wearing a non-racing suit. Allison Schmitt, coming back strong after a disappointing post-Olympic year, won the womens 200 freestyle in 1:58.16. Winner of five medals in London, she struggled a bit with fame and didnt even qualify for the 2013 worlds. Shes back on track with the Rio Games just two years away. "I have more goals that I want to accomplish, which is why Im back," Schmitt said. "Im looking forward to this summer." In the 400 individual medley, Olympic gold medallist Tyler Clary blew away the field in the mens race. His time of 4:21.66 was nearly 4 1/2 seconds ahead of runner-up Kevin Litherland. Melanie Margalis finished first on the womens side. Micah Lawrence touched first in the womens 100 breaststroke, while the mens breaststroke was captured by Nicolas Fink. Seventeen-year-old Kathleen Baker took the womens 100 fly in 59.69, the only swimmer to break the minute barrier. Of course, Phelps drew most of the attention. His main foe was impressed by what he saw. "He swam a fantastic race," Lochte said. "That was really fast." Custom Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys .com) - The 2014 Holiday Bowl is the first postseason venture pitting a pair of ranked foes against each other, as No. Kendrys Morales Jersey . The Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees 3-1 Tuesday night, their seventh defeat in 10 games. Rasmus was put on the 15-day DL on May 15 because of a sore right hamstring. Hes hitting .222 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. http://www.officialbluejaysjerseysonline...ue-jays-jersey/. -- The Anaheim Ducks have signed left wing Dany Heatley to a one-year deal, returning the 33-year-old unrestricted free agent to the Pacific Division. Devon Travis Jersey . He will play 10th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in Sundays final, after the Spanish left-hander defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 6-4. Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one.Around the Wheel: Three Thoughts from the Weekend 1) Head Games: Much has been made over Chelsea not dealing with the head injury to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after taking the brunt of a collision with Arsenals Alexis Sanchez. Courtois was allowed to continue after looking to be knocked out momentarily in the 10th minute, before going down with blood coming from his ear in the 24th. Chelsea has excused itself by claiming the blood came from a cut. If thats what the on-field trainers actually claim, than so be it, but it seems far-fetched. Courtois should not have been allowed to continue. Just as Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris should have been taken out of the game last season after his collision with Romelu Lukaku. Predictable calls for further measures have followed from the incident. More rules do not need to be put into place. Protocol need be abided by. Football Association rules state: - A player suffering a head injury must leave the pitch - Club doctor must decide if a player can continue - An additional tunnel doctor must be present on match days to help doctors on both sides - Tunnel doctor also spots potential concussions and watches TV replays to assess incidents These all seem reasonable. Doctors must do whats best for the player and avoid being influenced by the emotion of the moment, or even the player and/or manager. The doctor need take control, as protocol states. If these doctors are incapable of doing their job, making critical decisions, then they should not be on the touchline, period. Player simulation makes determining injury that much more difficult. If there is any doubt, the player must come off. Head injuries are not going away. Incompetence must. 2) Yaya: Hes Good: One goal. Thats all it takes. Yaya Toure has been much criticized for his lethargic start to the season. A moment of brilliance, breaking the deadlock against Aston Villa in the 82nd minute with a bending effort past two defenders, signaled to many his return to form. It was his first goal of the season on 17 shots compared to 20 goals on 64 a season ago. Toure has been a dominant force for City since joining in 2010. His stature and versatility makes him among the best in the country. He is not without his detractors because of a temperamental persona. Stories emanating putting his City future in doubt and tales of scorned feelings surrounding birthday wishes puzzle. These off-field talking points make him a convenient character to blame when all doesnt go right. City has gone through a stop-start beginning to the season. Thus, Toure takes the heat. Has Toure been great thus far? No. But its just seven games, and in fairness, he hasnt been that bad either. His summer was unproductive dealing with a long-standing thigh injury that limited him at the World Cup. More so than anything, Toures play has mirrored the inconsistency of his team. Its not just him. The standard set by Toure is so high the criticism is unfair. Look for him to go on a run coming out of the International break. 3) MUFC Midfield Meltdown: Manchester Uniteds injury-depleted back four has come under fire as the soft spot in the team. As witnessed by a barrage in the final ten minutes by Everton Sunday, its not all on the backline. The young back four has actually been quite good over the last two games. The midfield defensively has been a mess. The midfield shape has consistently crumbled late in matches leaving the defenders and goalkeeper to take on far too much responsibility. Daley Blind is the only midfielder immune from blame, exceptional in positioning while actually covering too much space because of the flaws of those around him. Angel Di Maria is a star, but can be argued hes best suited atop the midfield diamond. The Argentine does so much running his defensive marking wanes in the final 15 minutes of matches. Antonio Valencia is not an ideal player to play a more central role with little use for his left-foot. And Juan Mata is a defensive liability. The result is a midfield leaving too many holes and vulnerable when pressured. Marouane Fellaini made things worse after coming on, running about all over the place and out of position. The midfield shape will improve when Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick return from injury. This may not be enough. More drastic changes may be required to solve the defensive woes. Team of the Week De Gea (MUFC) Elmohamady (HUL) a€“ Vertonghen (TOT) - Kolarov (MCFC) Mahrez (LEI) - Sigurdsson (SWA) - Henderson (LFC) a€“ Oscar (CHE) a€“ Di Maria (MUFC) Wickham (SUN) a€“ Cisse (NUFC) Player of the Week: Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) a€“ A goal and an assist from the England International in a 2-1 win over West Brom. His back-heal on Adam Lallanas first half goal was of the highest quality. His first goal of the season was the match-winner: a composed strike after a penalty claim, picking out the corner and placing through a slew of bodies. It was a wonderful game for a player emerging as the most important in the team. Goal of the Week: Ross Wallace (Burnley) a€“ Burnley needed a lift and they got one late. Wallaces superb bending free-kick goal stands as the latest of the season (95:15) as Burnley came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw. The Scotsman was cool as can be, curling from 20 yards out with his left foot into the top right corner. It was a bit of class from a team showing not nearly enough. Save of the Week: David De Gea (MUFC) a€“ Manchester United can thank Spanish Dave for single-handedly ensuring all three points in a 2-1 win over Everton. A penalty save on Leighton Baines (the defenders first-ever league penalty miss) and a pair of tremendous saves on Leon Osman were the appetizers. The best came in the 94th minute. A scramble in the area and De Gea dove to his right on shot blocked by Tyler Blackett. The ball came on the bounce to Bryan Oviedo at the top of the box who unleashed a volley with eyes for the top right corner. De Gea bounced back to his feet before diving to his left knocking the ball over the bar. Even Evertons Steven Naismith paid tribute, high-fiving De Gea after his remarkable save. Moment of the Weekend: Wenger vs. Mourinho a€“ The Internet sensation of the weekend: Arsene Wenger shoving Jose Mourinho. Wenger was rightfully upset after Gary Cahill took out Sanchez on the touchline with a tackle certainly worthh more than the caution he received.dddddddddddd Wenger came straight out of his technical area into Mourinhos domain. The shove by Wenger was meager but the exchange heated. The push is yet another typical distraction from managers regularly in the spotlight. Grandstanding at its worst. Wenger should have been sent to the stands. Mourinho should have joined him. Managers have been sent away during a match for far less. You simply cannot leave your technical area and engage another manager. Stat of the Week a€“ Chelseas Cesc Fabregas has as many assists (7) as the entire Arsenal squad and as many as any Chelsea player had all of last season. Stat of the Week II a€“ Arsenal failed to register a shot on target against Chelsea for the first time since 2003. Quote of the Week: I will go home and shine my manager of the year trophy to give myself a bit of confidence and come in tomorrow. a€“ Embattled Newcastle United manager Alan Pardews cheeky response to the continual questioning regarding his future. Table Talk 1) Chelsea (19 pts) a€“ 19 points from 21 matches, but dont hand Chelsea the title yet. In 08/09, Chelsea started by winning 10 of 13. The Blues won eight of their first 10 in 10/11. And Chelsea started with seven wins and a draw in 12/13. Chelsea failed to win the title any of those seasons. 2) Manchester City (14) a€“ Sergio Aguero scored again in Citys 2-0 win at Villa Park and now has 22 goals in his last 25 starts. No player created more chances over the weekend (7) than a rejuvenated James Milner. 3) Southampton (13) a€“ Saido Mane missed an absolute sitter inside the six-yard box that would have equalized at White Hart Lane. Six-game winning streak in all competitions came to an end. 4) Manchester United (11) a€“ Fourth place is a bit deceiving having played a soft schedule thus far. Louis Van Gaal has picked 30 different players in seven matches a€“ six more than any other club. The injuries continue to mount with Paddy McNair (hamstring) out three weeks. Falcao has struggled with his first touch on the ball. Lets see if his first Premier League goal settles him down. 5) Swansea City (11) a€“ Centre-back frailties were exposed by Newcastle. Need to tighten up at the back. Gylfi Sigurdsson dropping deep is awfully effective, taking over the Michu role in the side. Two assists on the day for the Icelandic international and now has six on the season. 6) Tottenham Hotspur (11) a€“ Much better tempo in 1-0 win over Southampton. Jan Vertonghen has been standout in back-to-back weeks, making nine clearances and misplacing just one pass in the win. 7) West Ham United (10) a€“ Another impressive performance by the Hammers. Diafra scored his fifth goal in five starts. Aaron Cresswell continues to star. 8) Arsenal (10) a€“ 10 points from seven matches is the second worst Premier League start under Wenger. Laurent Koscielny remains a frustrating player. His talent is plain to see but gets caught flat-footed all too often. It was the seventh penalty he has conceded while at Arsenal. Better footwork is required from the Frenchman. 9) Liverpool (10) a€“ A nervous 2-1 victory at a tense Anfield. Nothing came easy for Liverpool and the team remains disjointed. The centre-backs have trouble dealing with pace. Sturridge will be key upon his return after the International break. 10) Aston Villa (10) a€“ Another solid effort against a better team. An incredibly difficult stretch (Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City) is over. Fabian Delph has been invaluable, yet is in need of a new contract. Christian Benteke returned after a six-month lay-off (Achilles) and immediate upgrades the attack. 11) Hull City (9) a€“ Reverting back to a 3-5-2 worked wonders for Steve Bruce, winning just their second league match in 12. Ahmed Elmohamady and Andrew Robertson were dominant at wingback. Mohamed Diame has three goals on three shots on target this season. Nikica Jelavic has matched his goal tally (4) of all last year. 12) Leicester City (9) a€“ Disappointing result for second consecutive week after upsetting Manchester United. Riyad Mahrez was a force down the right side. Jamie Vardy continues to be the ultimate pest in attack. 13) Sunderland (8) a€“ Respectable forward play returns. Steven Fletcher popped up with the brace and was clearly emotional after recent stinging criticism of his play. The true star was Connor Wickham with a goal and an assist. Hes a physical specimen showing signs he will come good on all his promise. First win of the season for Gus Poyet. 14) West Bromwich Albion (8) a€“ Leave with their heads held high after a competitive 2-1 loss at Anfield. Cristian Gamboa is intriguing, getting up the wing at will. Sebastien Pocognoli seems a superior option to Jonas Olsson at centre-back. 15) Crystal Palace (8) a€“ An uncharacteristic lethargic performance at Hull City. Need to play with superior team spirit and commitment to make up for lack of talent in the side. 16) Stoke City (8) a€“ Potters lost their best player and the game at Sunderland. Victor Moses (thigh) limped off after just 18 minutes and will now miss the next three weeks. Need other attacking players to step up in his absence. 17) Everton (6) a€“ Good news: Steven Naismith continues to shine, having scored four goals on five shots on target. Bad news: injuries continue to add up for a team short on squad depth. The all-important John Stones (ankle ligaments) is the latest casualty. Team is much better than current standing. 18) Newcastle United (4) a€“ Still no win for Alan Pardew yet enough to keep his job. Papiss Cisses return from a fractured kneecap is quite incredible, with four goals in three outings. Cheick Tiote may want to leave, but who would want him? The midfielder has been abysmal. 19) Burnley (4) a€“ Deserved point for Burnley, as they pressured the Leicester goal on numerous occasions. Burnleys first goal ended a 565-minute goal drought. Ross Wallaces wonderful free kick equalizer in the 96th minute came at the expense of Kieran Trippier, who was stretchered off after an ugly right ankle injury. 20) Queens Park Rangers (4) a€“ The worst team play in the league and its not close. QPR has lost all four away matches, outscored by 11 goals in the process. @WheelerTSN gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca China JerseysWholesale Stitched JerseysJerseys NFL CheapWholesale Stitched JerseysCheap Jerseys From ChinaStitched NFL JerseysNFL Jerseys China ' ' '