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Dubai - Ryan Lochte is set for a three-event finale at the short-course world championships, which could send the American all-arounder home with six gold medals.
Lochte coasted for most of his last lap and still qualified first for the 200-meter backstroke final on the last day of competition on Sunday.
Lochte clocked 1 minute, 50.25 seconds, 0.57 ahead of teammate Tyler Clary.
In the evening session, Lochte will swim finals in the 200 back, 100 individual medley and the 400 medley relay.
"I got to save my energy," Lochte said. "I've got three tough events tonight and I'm just going to take each race at a time and whatever happens happens at this point."
Lochte has already won the 200 freestyle and 200 and 400 IMs, the last two with world records. He also helped the United States to silver in the 4x200 free relay.
Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia led the 1 500 free heats in 14:24.16, which will likely secure him victory after the fourth and final heat during the evening session.
Tunisian fans set the pace for Mellouli by banging drums, singing and waving flags through the marathon-like race. When "Ouss" touched the wall, the group of about 35 supporters blasted confetti into the air and Mellouli acknowledged them with a brief wave despite his obvious exhaustion.
Aiming for a golden clean sweep of the three breaststroke events - the 50, 100 and 200 - Rebecca Soni of the United States led the 200 heats in a championship record 2:18.66.
Sun Ye of China was second, 1.11 behind, while Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain failed to qualify in 19th, ending her meet with three golds and a silver.
A resurgent Katie Hoff led the 200 free heats in 1:53.48, placing the American 0.79 in front of France's Camille Muffat, with Italy's Federica Pellegrini third, 1.18 behind, and Australia's Kylie Palmer fourth, 1.30 back.
Hoff already won gold in the 400 free ahead of Palmer and Pellegrini.
Hoff entered the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a favorite in multiple events, but came away with only one silver and two bronzes. She then failed to qualify for last year's long-course worlds in Rome, which prompted her to leave coach Bob Bowman - who also guides Michael Phelps - and begin training with Sean Hutchison at Fullerton Aquatics in California.
Pellegrini has gone undefeated in the 200 free over the last four years.
"Federica is the world record-holder, so she's obviously the favorite and I'm coming into this as the underdog," Hoff said. "I just need to go out there and race."
