OMAHA, Neb. — Katie Hoff has vanquished Natalie Coughlin once. Now the teenage sensation is ready to show Dara Torres that youth rules.

Hoff will swim in the same heat of the 100-meter freestyle preliminaries today as Torres, who at 41 is attempting yet another comeback in a bid to make her fifth Olympic team.

Also lurking is Coughlin, who swims in a later heat and has a faster seed time than either Hoff or Torres.

Hoff rallied to beat Coughlin, a five-time Olympic medalist, in the 200 individual medley with an American record Wednesday, giving Hoff her fourth individual victory of the trials.

Hoff’s coach, Paul Yetter, sees long-term potential in his 19-year-old protege.

“Look at Dara Torres,” he said. “She’s 41 and she’s swimming her best times ever.”

Coughlin sped out to an easy, early lead on the butterfly and backstroke legs, but as is her style, Hoff rallied on the breaststroke and freestyle to win in 2 minutes, 9.71 seconds, lowering Coughlin’s American record of 2:09.77 set less than a month ago.

Making the win even more impressive: Hoff had won the 200 freestyle about 20 minutes earlier in 1:55.88, beating her own U.S. record of 1:56.08 in that event.

“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 already had won the 400 IM and 400 free, and her triumph in the 200 free assured 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.

Michael Phelps was duly impressed with his former North Baltimore Aquatic Club teammate.

“That was a hard double. She swam both races perfectly,” he said. “She’s always putting up fast times.”

And doing more meters than Phelps in Omaha.

Hoff could swim as much as 4,700 meters counting all her preliminaries and semifinals. Phelps, who’s dropped out of four of the nine events he entered, is now scheduled to swim 3,000 meters in all.

So, Michael, feel like a slacker?

“No way,” the 23-year-old Phelps said. “She’s younger. Give her four years.”

Phelps is halfway to setting his Beijing Games program, having earned his third individual title of the trials in the 200 butterfly after also locking up a spot in at least one relay.

He’ll swim the 200 IM preliminaries and semifinals Thursday, with Ryan Lochte looming in the event, too.

“My goal is to come out here and swim two decent swims to be able to set me up for a good one in the final,” he said.

Phelps dropped out of the 200 backstroke that begins Thursday featuring world champion Lochte and defending Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol. That leaves the 200 IM — he’s the world record holder — and the 100 fly against rival Ian Crocker.

And Phelps isn’t exhausted yet.

“I’ve been able to learn so much, to be able to manage my energy, both emotional and physical,” he said. “In 2004, every race I would go for it. I’ve been able to learn over the past few years to be conservative and try to save up a little bit because my program is so long.”

Phelps just missed his world record in the 200 fly. He pulled away after the final turn to win in 1:52.20 — just 11-hundredths over the mark of 1:52.09 he set while winning seven gold medals at last year’s world championships.

Phelps added to the 400 IM and 200 free wins, the latter assuring him of a spot on the 800 free relay.

Brendan Hansen will swim the 200 breaststroke final Thursday night, while Jason Lezak heads into the 100 free final as the fastest qualifier, having set an American record.