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OMAHA, Neb. -- The rivalry between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte goes back more than a decade.Theyve raced more times than they can remember, always bringing out the best in each other.Now, theyre getting ready to do it one more time.In what will be their only real showdown of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, and likely one of their final races ever, Phelps and Lochte clash again Friday night in the final of the 200-meter individual medley.Side by side, mano a mano.I think its one of the greatest rivalries in sports, me and him, just for what weve both done in the sport of swimming, said Lochte, an 11-time Olympic medalist. Hes the toughest competitor out there.Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of them all, the winner of 18 golds and 22 medals overall.He would certainly rate Lochte among the toughest competitors hes ever faced.Never mind that Lochte is battling a groin injury and has yet to qualify for an individual Olympic event at these trials.Even if he is hurt, I dont think hes going to let anything be an excuse, Phelps said. Him and I together have had a pretty decent rivalry back and forth. Weve been able to really push each other and I would expect that (Friday).This one is especially significant for the 31-year-old Lochte, given its his only real shot at swimming a race of his own at the Olympics. He injured his groin on the first day of the meet and stunningly finished third in the 400 IM -- a race he won at the Olympics four years ago. Lochte followed up with a fourth-place showing in the 200 freestyle, which at least was good enough to put him on the team as a relay swimmer, and he dropped out of the 200 backstroke to concentrate fully on the 200 IM.He needs to finish in the top two to claim an individual event, but he really wants a win over Phelps before they head to the Olympics.Lochte was top qualifier in the semis at 1 minute, 56.71 seconds, while Phelps took the second spot in 1:57.61. That means theyll be right beside each other in the final, just as theyve been so many times during their dazzling careers.Lochte has been undergoing extensive treatment and even altered his breaststroke form to help deal with the groin problem.I took some painkillers to help me with the pain, just so my mind is off that pain, he said. The first part of the breaststroke felt good and then halfway through it started hurting more and more.Phelps has already qualified for Rio in the 200 fly, and hes eager to add two more individual races to his program. Hell be a big favorite in the 100 fly, a race that Lochte also entered but doesnt figure to be a major threat.This is their only fair fight in Omaha.Him and I have gone back and forth a number of times in this race, Phelps said. During the big meets, we have great races. Were right there with each other (Friday) in the middle of the pool, probably a couple of tenths apart. Were going to be out and probably step on the gas a little bit more than we have in the past and youll have an exciting race.The matchup comes one day after Phelps celebrated his 31st birthday.His mother rented out a room, allowing friends and family to gather for a low-key celebration.Then it was time for Phelps to turn his attention to a familiar foe.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . Roberto Alomar Blue Jays Jersey . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. David Wells Jersey . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/526h-george-bell-jersey-blue-jays.html . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. R.A. Dickey Blue Jays Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. John Mayberry Blue Jays Jersey . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss.Former Celtic captain Stephen McManus says Leigh Griffiths will be a key player in Sundays Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers. The Motherwell defender was given an unwelcome reminder of the Celtic strikers single-minded attitude last Saturday when Griffiths struck twice at Fir Park to earn three points for the Premiership leaders.The former Hibernian player had earlier missed a penalty and showed what it meant to break a four-game duck - which included Scotlands friendly with Denmark - by racing the entire length of the pitch to celebrate his opener infront of the visiting fans. Griffiths has now scored 37 goals this season and McManus predicts he will have a major say in the outcome of the Glasgow derby, live on Sky Sports. Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths celebrates his winning goal at Motherwell Strikers need to score goals for themselves, for the pressure of it. Playing for Celtic you get a lot of chances and sometimes that can play on your mind when you are not scoring, said McManus, who made over 150 appearances for Celtic between 2003-2010.But the most important thing is he still in there, and hes going to be a big, big player for Celtic at the weekend.Leigh Griffiths has had a tremendous season. Its not easy scoring goals at the Old Firm, certainly not Celtic. You need to be the right type of charracter to handle the pressure, to relish the pressure that comes with it, and Leigh has certainly done that.ddddddddddddHe will now be looking to advance on his next aim, to become a regular for Scotland. But he has had a terrific season and when you have someone like him in your side you know you are going to get chances and you know you will get an opportunity to score goals. L to R David Clarkson, Stephen Pearson, Ryder Cup golfer Stephen Gallacher, Stephen McManus and Linlithgow golf pro Kenny Monaghan McManus was promoting a charity golf challenge he is undertaking with Motherwell team-mates David Clarkson and Stephen Pearson along with Kenny Monaghan, a resident professional at Linlithgow Golf Club. The four will attemptto play 72 holes in one day on May 20.Weve been good mates with Kenny, the four of us hang about together, McManus said. Kenny lost his mum to cancer five years ago and we decided to do the Longest Day Golf Challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support.It will be a tough day but it will be enjoyable and its a great cause so hopefully we can raise as much money as we can. Also See: Celtic video Celtic fixtures Celtic stats Get ￡10 free bet! ' ' '