ATHENS, Greece -- It looks as if Michael Phelps will get what he wants: a chance to swim eight Olympic races.
The U.S. coaching staff has decided to have Phelps swim the final of the 400-meter freestyle relay Sunday, even though he didn't take part in the 100 free at the Olympic trials last month, which usually decides the pool of relay swimmers.
American sprint star Gary Hall Jr. revealed the decision after a Friday morning workout at the Olympic pool, on the eve of the first day of competition. He said he was told by men's coach Eddie Reese that the preliminary team would consist of Hall, Nate Dusing, Neil Walker and Gabe Woodward.
Phelps, Jason Lezak and Ian Crocker would be saved for the more desirable evening swim.
There is one caveat that could alter the makeup of the team. According to Hall, the coaches told the four morning swimmers that they would bump Phelps from the final if two of them swam faster than 48.4 seconds during their prelim legs.
That seems unlikely.
Hall, one of America's most decorated sprinters with eight medals at the last two Olympics, has a personal best of 48.81. Walker's top time in the 100 is 48.55, while neither Woodward nor Dusing has ever broken 49 seconds.
If form holds, Phelps will likely get eight chances to tie or beat Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps is assured of swimming five individual events and the 800 free relay, and almost certainly will get at least a morning swim in the 400 medley relay -- with a chance to earn his way into the final if he can beat rival Crocker in the 100 butterfly.
All swimmers who take part in a relay -- either the preliminaries or final -- receive a medal if their team finishes on the podium.
Phelps is the only member of the relay pool who didn't take part in the 100 free at the U.S. Olympic trials. But the coaches said he earned consideration with a time of 49.05 at the Spring Nationals in February -- seventh-fastest in the world this year.
Hall was a little perturbed by the whole situation, saying Phelps was getting special treatment.
"There were no exceptions for anyone else," Hall said. "No one qualified for the Olympic team in February except Michael Phelps."
Hall said Reese was under intense pressure to get Phelps into as many races as possible since he's being touted as potentially the biggest star of the Athens Games.
"If the rules applied to everyone, I would understand," Hall said. "I think it's unfair to put the pressure of Michael Phelps' seven-gold-medal hunt on the shoulders of the coach. There's so much pressure on him from USA Swimming and the media."
Reese was not immediately available for comment. He said earlier in the week that he has decided on just one swimmer who would definitely take part in the final of the 400 free relay, but had made it clear since the trials that Phelps would receive strong consideration.
Phelps will begin his quest to break Spitz's record on Saturday in the 400 individual medley. He is overwhelming favorite, breaking his own world record at the Olympic trials with a time that is nearly four seconds faster than anyone else in the world this year.
Huh? I came to be gracious in defeat - I just read that you guys got third and we got sixth? Or was that a different race? I don't know. Too may races going on.
Oh well no matter what ... I am just glad your guy can't get his eight medals. Who the hell does he think he is? God?
schmiggens said this in post #6 : Yeah I know, but there's thinking you're good at your sport and there's being an ***hole about it. He seems a bit of the second choice to me.
Wait a minute!!!
Schmiggs....didnt another guy have to drop off the Aussie team so that Thorpe could get on?
Was he not disqualified at one point and because of that he didnt make the team. The other guy dropped so he could get on anyhow?
If thats true...wasnt he also second choice?
I might be completely wrong (and correct me if I am!!)...but that was my understanding when they were talking about him the other night.
Thorpe's great, dont get me wrong...but he too gets a little cocky sometimes.
Of course thats just my opinion....I could be wrong. (Dennis Miller)
"You might be the toughest little whacker. . .but in my world, you're about as worrisome as a cloudy day." (Dutch Dooley)
Actually yeah mystic, I saw that interview with Phelps where he said he only wanted one medal, or something along those lines. You might be right, it might be a big media blow-up.
The deal with Thorpe getting into the 200m was that he jump-started on qualifying and you don't get a second chance if you jump-start so the guy who qualified stepped aside and let Thorpe take his place. Thorpe is giving the guy who stepped aside the medal he won in that event as a thank you. No one asked him to step aside, he did it cause he wanted Thorpe to be able to defend his crown from Sydney.
Yeah Thorpe can be a little cocky sometimes, but he is so sweet 99.9% of the time, you can overlook his little faults. Did you see him cry when he won that 200m medal! So sweet.
schmiggens said this in post #9 : Actually yeah mystic, I saw that interview with Phelps where he said he only wanted one medal, or something along those lines. You might be right, it might be a big media blow-up.
The deal with Thorpe getting into the 200m was that he jump-started on qualifying and you don't get a second chance if you jump-start so the guy who qualified stepped aside and let Thorpe take his place. Thorpe is giving the guy who stepped aside the medal he won in that event as a thank you. No one asked him to step aside, he did it cause he wanted Thorpe to be able to defend his crown from Sydney.
Yeah Thorpe can be a little cocky sometimes, but he is so sweet 99.9% of the time, you can overlook his little faults. Did you see him cry when he won that 200m medal! So sweet.
He is giving him his medal for that event? Hmm...thats nice, but I wonder if this other guy could have even won it though if he would have stayed in instead? maybe it was best for the country that he did drop out....is this guy still on the team and in Greece (just stepping out of this event?) or did he bow out altogether and is at home watching from his own TV? Just curious.
I think that guy should be given total kudos for stepping aside for Thorpe....he certainly didnt have to do that...but I wonder if he was pressured to do so....what do you think?
I like Thorpe! He's an awesome competitor, and certainly one of Phelps' greatest threats in the Olympics....
I always love watching the reactions of the athlete's that win...I dont care where they are from...its one of the best parts of the games for me...just watching people win for what they have worked for all their lives.....its too cool!!
Of course thats just my opinion....I could be wrong. (Dennis Miller)
"You might be the toughest little whacker. . .but in my world, you're about as worrisome as a cloudy day." (Dutch Dooley)
Yes the guy who dropped out for Thorpe (someone Stevens I think his name is) is still in the swim team, he is in one of the relay teams and I think also another individual event. I think the media came up with the idea that he should step aside for Thorpe, but ultimately it was always up to him and he decided to do it. He was right there pool side cheering the loudest for Thorpie when he swam it, they are good friends and team mates.
Yeah watching people win is awesome, especially the young ones who've never won anything before and the people who don't think they're going to win. They turn around and look at the score board and their faces just light up. It makes me smile too to see tham so happy.
You have really been duped by the Aussie media.
They have been promoting Phelps as some cocky kid who dislikes Aussies. This is crap, it's just our media trying to build up a rivalry between us and the US swim team.
Be a bit more mature and sportsmanlike, you would never see Thorpe making derogatory remarks towards another competitor, learn from his example.
Hey! I said he SEEMED a bit of an ***hole. I didn't say he WAS one. And then in post #9, I did agree that it was probably a big media circus and not actually any agression on his part making him seem like an ***hole.
I have nothing against Phelps as an athlete, I can appreciate that for his age he IS very good at his sport. It just seemed that he was a bit too cocky for my liking.
And you gotta admit, there already IS a rivalry between Australia in USA, not just in Swimming, but in a lot of the other sports and even in un-sports related things.
PS: Just coz you'd never SEE Thorpe make bad comment, doesn't mean he never does
schmiggens said this in post #13 : Hey! I said he SEEMED a bit of an ***hole. I didn't say he WAS one. And then in post #9, I did agree that it was probably a big media circus and not actually any agression on his part making him seem like an ***hole.
I have nothing against Phelps as an athlete, I can appreciate that for his age he IS very good at his sport. It just seemed that he was a bit too cocky for my liking.
And you gotta admit, there already IS a rivalry between Australia in USA, not just in Swimming, but in a lot of the other sports and even in un-sports related things.
PS: Just coz you'd never SEE Thorpe make bad comment, doesn't mean he never does
Whats the difference between seems like an **hole and calling him one? Thats splitting hairs.
Of course theres a rivalry between us and the US. But keep it a healthy one, be sportsmanlike and respectful and not so quick to bag another country's sporting stars. Im sure you would be jumping up and down if foriegners accused Thorpe of arrogance purely based on their respective country's media distortions
The difference is that I admitted that my view is based only on what I am being fed by the media, I can't truly say whether or he is an ***hole or not, I can only take what I am given by the media. And the media was making him out to be an arrogant bastard at the time.
Since seeing him swim and seeing him on the podium and interacting with the other athletes, I have made my own opinion, not based on the media's continued hype and he seems to me to be just like Ian Thorpe, young, talented and a great sportsman. Certainly not an arrogant ***hole as I was lead to believe.
schmiggens said this in post #15 : The difference is that I admitted that my view is based only on what I am being fed by the media, I can't truly say whether or he is an ***hole or not, I can only take what I am given by the media. And the media was making him out to be an arrogant bastard at the time.
Since seeing him swim and seeing him on the podium and interacting with the other athletes, I have made my own opinion, not based on the media's continued hype and he seems to me to be just like Ian Thorpe, young, talented and a great sportsman. Certainly not an arrogant ***hole as I was lead to believe.
08-16-2004 07:41 AM
I don't know. 
Too may races going on.
