Associated Press

Katie Hoff finished first and set American records in both the 200-\u200Ameter freestyle final and the 200 IM on Wednesday.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Virginia's Ryan Hurley advanced to the final of the men's 200-meter breaststroke Wednesday night at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.

Hurley, who redshirted at UVa this year so he could focus on training in Charlottesville for the trials, took seventh overall in the semifinals (2 minutes, 12.86 seconds). The top eight finishers advanced to tonight's final.

Hurley, a member of the U.S. national team, also made the finals in this event at the 2004 trials. He graduated from UVa last month and will swim for the Cavaliers as a graduate student next season.

P.J. Sullivan, who was a UVa senior this year, finished 13th in the semifinals (2:14.40).

Brendan Hansen was the top semifinal qualifier.

Hurley and Sullivan had advanced to the semifinals by finishing in the top 16 overall in the prelims earlier in the day. Hurley was fifth (2:12.82) and Sullivan was 14th (2:15.25).

Katie Hoff stole the show Wednesday night, winning two events about 45 minutes apart -- and setting new American records in both.

Michael Phelps earned his third individual title of the trials in the 200-meter butterfly after also locking up a spot in at least one relay. The 23-year-old is right on pace in his bid to go after eight wins in China and break Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record of seven golds.

The way things are going, Hoff might be just as busy as her former teammate at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

The 19-year-old Hoff added the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley to her growing list of trials wins -- rallying to beat Natalie Coughlin in the second of those, no less.

"I'm in great shape," Hoff said. "I've trained to swim a lot of events in one night. I'm glad my training pulled through."

Hoff had already won the 400 IM and 400 free, the latter giving her a spot in the 800 free relay. She's still got two more events to go, the 100 and 800 free, and a top four in the shorter race would get her on at least one more relay team in Beijing.

For those who don't have a calculator handy, that's eight races -- which likely would be just as many as Phelps.

Hoff won the 200 individual medley in 2:09.71, improving on Coughlin's American record of 2:09.77 set less than a month ago.

"She's a stud for doing the 200 free-200 IM double," Coughlin said. "That's an incredibly tough double, and I don't know of another female swimmer who could do it so successfully."

Hoff won the 200 freestyle in 1:55.88, beating her own U.S. record in that event of 1:56.08.

Phelps looked a bit dejected after just missing his world record in the 200 fly.

Phelps pulled away after the final flip to win in 1:52.20 -- just 11-hundredths over the mark of 1:52.09 he set last year.

Phelps withdrew from the 200 backstroke that begins today. He will close the trials swimming the 200 IM and the 100 fly.

Former Rockbridge County High School and University of California swimmer William Copeland finished 25th overall (49.96) in the 100 freestyle prelims.

UVa's Scot Robison was 62nd (50.81) in those prelims, while teammate Matt McLean was 63rd (50.82). UVa's John Azar was 73rd (51.09).

In the women's 200 butterfly prelims, UVa's Elizabeth Shaw was 25th (2:13.82). UVa's Claire Crippen was 72nd (2:17.50), while teammate Megan Evo was 75th (2:17.71).