By Charean Williams | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

BEIJING - And on the sixth day, he rested.

It had to be a little strange for him not to be standing on the podium, but Michael Phelps was grateful he didn't have to swim a medal race Thursday.

"It gives me more time to rest," he said after winning his semifinal heat in the 200-meter IM, setting up a showdown against teammate Ryan Lochte on Friday. "I think the biggest thing over the next two days is trying to get as much rest and recovery in my system as possible."

Without a Phelps' final, the buzz that has permeated the Water Cube was conspicuously absent Thursday. The stands weren't full; the press contingent was small; and there was no American star.

In Thursday's four finals, Jason Lezak won a bronze in the 100 free, and the women's 4x200 free relay finished off a blah day with the bronze. That was it.

No Phelps. No hip, hip, hooray!

University of Texas student Scott Spann, who had pulled the biggest upset at the U.S. Trials by beating Brendan Hansen, finished only sixth in the 200 breaststroke, 2.12 seconds behind gold medal winner Kosuke Kitajima (2:07.64).

He wasn't disappointed.

"This is a stepping stone," said Spann, a Michigan transfer. "Ten months ago, I was third at Pan American Games, and that put me about 50th in the world. Nobody would have known who I was. Over these past few months, I've been dropping time, and now I'm right up at the top five. I've put myself into world contention for the next few years."

Before Monday, Lezak wasn't well known in the U.S. But then he swam the anchor leg on the GREATEST COMEBACK IN SWIMMING HISTORY, keeping Phelps' hopes of eight gold medals alive with the 4x100 free relay.

That is expected to get Lezak endorsement offers and TV appearances when he returns to the States.

But his performance Monday only validated Gary Hall Jr.'s proclamation of four years ago that Lezak is a "professional relay swimmer." It wasn't meant as a compliment.

Lezak entered Thursday's 100 free with five Olympic medals, including three golds. All of them had come on relays.

In Athens four years ago, he failed even to make it out of the preliminaries in the 100 free. He erroneously thought he could coast into the finals, saving energy.

"Definitely the huge mistake I made four years by taking the preliminaries too lightly has been eating at me for a long time," Lezak said. "For me to go out there and accomplish that medal, I'm really excited. Obviously, it doesn't top the relay from the other night, but it's something that it's really pushed me to swim for four years."

Lezak wanted the gold medal, but France's Alain Bernard, whom Lezak had beaten by a fingertip in the 4x100 free relay Monday, had something more. Bernard, who blamed himself for the loss to the Americans in the relay, touched in 47.21, with Australia's Eamon Sullivan second (47.32) and Lezak tying Brazil's Cesar Cielo Filho for third (47.67).

"The momentum (from the relay victory) was great, but physically it took a toll on me," Lezak, 32, said. "I'm lucky I survived that. I'm feeling a little tired right now. I've got a couple of days of rest, which is much needed right now."

That's what Phelps is doing today, watching Planet Earth, playing video games and sleeping. He and his medals were missed Thursday.