'Bring on Phelps'
Milorad Cavic doesn't want his longed-for 100m butterfly rematch against Michael Phelps to be tainted by any swimsuit controversy.
The outspoken Serbian took a poke at the US superstar and his outdated Speedo LZR swimsuit Friday after clocking the top time in qualifying for the 100m fly at the swimming World Championships.
"I know he's making a lot of money from Speedo," said Cavic, who wears the Arena X-Glide polyurethane suit. "It's loyalty. But throughout all my experiences, I've learned this -- free will is a gift with a price tag, and whatever you choose to do you're going to pay. How much you're going to pay is really dependent on you."
The X-Glide and another polyurethane marvel by Italian manufacturer Jaked are thought to be the fastest available. They and their brothers have contributed to an astonishing 29 world records in the first five days of racing here.
While Speedo has given its sponsored swimmers the green light to wear a different suit, Phelps stuck with the LZR developed last year by the company that has sponsored him for nearly a decade.
"If Mike wants an Arena, he just has to say it," Cavic said. "If he wants a Jaked and they don't want to give it to him free, I'll buy it for him. He has options.
"I think in the media it has been portrayed that he has no option, he has to swim for them. It's a complete lie."
Cavic won his 100m fly heat in 50.56sec, while Phelps won his in 50.90, joint second-quickest overall alongside fellow American Tyler McGill.
Phelps edged Cavic by one-hundredth of a second in the 100m butterfly in Beijing last year to stay on track for his unprecedented haul of eight gold medals at one Olympics.
Cavic, who was gliding in at the finish, still believes he touched the wall first, but that Phelps's stronger hit on the timing pad got the American the victory.
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