ANNAPOLIS — Michael Phelps picked up two more victories Saturday night at the North Baltimore Aquatic Center Christmas Meet at the U.S. Naval Academy’s Lejuene Hall.

Appearing before a standing-room only crowd early in the evening, the 14-time Olympic gold medalist won the 400 individual medley with ease, clocking 3 minutes, 42.53 seconds.
Then, after a wait of about an hour, he won the 100 backstroke in a close race, clocking a time of 46.73 to edge NBAC teammates Ben Hesen and Todd Patrick.
In the 400 IM, Phelps finished almost 11 seconds ahead of the second-place swimmer, 17-year-old NBAC teammate Drew Cosgarea. He had a tougher go of it in the 100 backstroke, trailing Hesen after the first 50 yards and making the final turn virtually even with Hesen and Patrick.
On the meet’s first night Friday, Phelps won the 200 freestyle with the best time recorded by an American swimmer this season.
Phelps last swam in World Cup meets in Stockholm and Berlin in November. Despite the lack of competition for Phelps, he said he chose to compete in the meet because he had done so as a child and a teenager, and because it was a good place for him to work on his short course form.
He is scheduled to swim in two more events on Sunday, the 100 freestyle and 200 butterfly.