'Returning' Michael Phelps clocks fastest time in 100-metre butterfly heat at Mesa Pro Swim

In his first race since August, American swimming great Michael Phelps clocked the fastest time in the qualifying round ahead of the 100-metre butterfly final at the Mesa Pro Swim meeting on Thursday.

Returning from a six-month suspension in the wake of his drunk-driving arrest last September, Phelps clocked 52.92 seconds to top the qualifying times in the 100-metre fly, an event in which he set the world record in 2009 and has won at three Olympics.

The most decorated Olympian, who revealed that his plan with coach Bob Bowman for the heat was simple, said that it was just weird racing because it had been so long, Sport24 reported.

The swimmer said that Bowman had told him not to worry about stroke, about anything, and asked him to just get in the water and race, and he added that that is what he did.

The 18-time Olympic gold medalist said that there were plenty of details to improve on.

Tom Phillips was second-fastest in the heats with a time of 53.02 seconds, and Phelps' longtime rival Ryan Lochte was third-quickest clocking 53.17 seconds, the report added.