GOING FOR GOLD

OLYMPIC SWIMMER MICHAEL PHELPS PREPARES FOR BEIJING

At the ripe old age of 23, Michael Phelps rivals Mark Spitz as the greatest swimmer in the history of the sport, and you could make a very solid argument for his status as one of the strongest competitors in the modern Olympic era.

Since becoming the youngest male world record holder at the age of 15, the Baltimore native has compiled a stellar list of swimming achievements that include being the most decorated swimmer in World Championships history, the only swimmer ever to set five individual world records in one international meet, and one of only two swimmers (the other, of course, being Spitz) ever to win four individual Gold medals in the Olympics.

Going into the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Phelps is arguably stronger than ever, coming off of winning a record-tying seven Gold medals at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. But the fiercely competitive Phelps– who currently holds individual world records in the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, and both the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley– seems to take the pressure in stride, working with longtime coach Bob Bowman an hopes of besting his remarkable performance at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

The good-natured Phelps recently took some time out of his hectic training schedule to talk with us, covering topics ranging from early fears of the water and his video game addiction to how he plans to top himself in Beijing.

I read somewhere that you were actually scared of swimming as a boy. What did you do to overcome that fear?

Yeah, at first I was scared, so I started out swimming on my back. Eventually I dug my face into the water, and the rest just fell into place.

How did the experience of watching guys like Tom Dolan at the 1996 Olympics Games in Atlanta impact your decision to become a competitive swimmer?

Growing up, I always wanted to go to the University of Michigan. It came from seeing guys like Eric Wunderlich, Tom Dolan and Eric Namesnik compete in the 1996 Olympics and knowing that they all had one thing in common– they all went to Michigan. That just got me so excited! After that I always had my Michigan hat on, and I set my sights on going to Michigan, becoming a competitive swimmer and an Olympic Gold medalist.

You’re widely considered among the best swimmers in the history of the sport. Where do you get your notorious intensity?

Pretty much from day one, my coach Bob Bowman has helped me become a goal-oriented swimmer. Learning that at an early age helped me keep my focus, and that’s how I am today. I’m extremely competitive and literally can’t stand to lose, whether it’s swimming or eating or whatever. I think that’s what made me want to start to swim, because my family was active in the sport and I just never wanted to lose. Even if it was my worst stroke, I hated coming in second.

How did your life change once you made the decision to go pro at the age of 16?

Well, when I made the 2000 Olympic team and broke my first world record at the age of 15, deciding to go pro was the best decision for me. Yeah, I was giving up my college eligibility, but I wanted so much more than what a collegiate experience could bring me. I wanted to become an Olympic Gold medalist, travel the world and race against the best, and turning professional gave me that opportunity.

Your list of career highlights is ridiculously impressive. Is there one of which you're the proudest?

It would probably be winning my first Gold medal, with my mother and my sisters there. It was amazing, touching the wall and realizing that I had my first world record, seeing my mom and my sisters in the stands, jumping up and down and crying and everything. It was awesome! It was something I had always dreamed of, and to have the opportunity to make it happen was just life-changing.

The film "Unfiltered" documented your friendship with Ian Crocker, to whom you gave up your slot in the 4x100-meter medley relay at the 2004 Olympics. How does that close relationship affect your performance when you guys are in the same event?

We’re two completely different people, but we are good friends. But when we’re in the pool, we are 100% competitors and neither of us wants to lose. I think we both bring the best out of each other. He’s a world record-holder with the fastest 100-meter butterfly ever, and I wanted to give him the opportunity to prove how great he is and win a Gold medal.

After winning 6 Golds and 2 Bronzes in the 2004 Olympics, what are your major goals for the 2008 Olympics? How do you top yourself?

(Laughs) That is honestly the million-dollar question, and everybody is asking me that. The truth is that there are only two people in this world who know my specific goals, and that’s my coach and myself. Even my mom has no idea, but my coach and I are constantly working to improve. If I go out there and do every best time that I can and still get second, that’s all I can ask of myself. But I do want to be as prepared as I can and be able to walk away from this year saying, “I did everything I could to compete to the best of my abilities.”

What kind of training regimen do you undergo in the months leading up to a major competition?

Well, right now we’re swimming seven days a week, doing 10 swimming workouts a week, three weight training workouts a week and three cardio workouts a week. So I’m pretty much constantly working out, and then when I’m not I’m sitting at home on my couch playing video games. Right now I’m playing Project Gotham Racing and Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360, and I’ve been doing a lot of Wii Bowling, because I’m a big fan of the Wii.

You helped to create the social networking site Swimroom.com. What has the reception to that idea from the swimming community been like?

My biggest goal with Swimroom is to promote the sport of swimming and take it to a new level for up and coming swimmers all around the world. The site is a way for swimmers all over to connect with each other. I’m on the Internet every day, and being able to hop on Swimroom and connect with fans from all over the world is amazing. I want to change the sport of swimming like Michael Jordan changed basketball and Tiger Woods changed golf, and this is another step towards accomplishing that goal.

You're a spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. What attracted you to that organization?

My mother has been in education for 35 years, and she raised me to believe that kids are the people who will change this world. So if there’s a way I can connect with a kid and help them avoid making bad decisions and give them a healthier environment to grow up in, I’m all for it.

You’re busy training and traveling for much of the year, but where are your favorite places to hang out when you go back home to Baltimore?

I love to eat at Fortunato’s (410-377-7300), this pizza and sub shop right down the street from my house. They’ve got the best pizza in Baltimore, so I always go there whenever I’m visiting. When it’s crab season, I also love Bo Brooks (www.bobrooks.com; 410-558-0202), which is right on the water in downtown Baltimore. It’s a great place to hang out with my friends, and they have amazing crab that they bring in fresh off the docks. Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, Camden Yards (www.orioles.mlb.com; 410-685-9800) is one of the nicest stadiums I’ve ever been to. The atmosphere and everything about it is just amazing, and the same could be said for the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium (www.baltimorervaens.com; 410-230-8000). Baltimore is such a huge sports town, so being able to catch a game there is always memorable. And even just walking through downtown’s inner harbor, with all the shops and restaurants that are down there, is a genuinely unique experience.

How many more years of professional swimming do you think you have in you?

I just turned 23, and I will definitely retire before the age of 30. That is a guarantee! (Laughs) I’ll probably go through the 2012 Olympics, then retiure after that.

Any thoughts on what your career path might be after retiring from the sport?

I have no idea. I’m currently studying sports marketing and management at the University of Michigan, and I definitely want to get my degree. I’d love to stay in the sports field because I’m a diehard sports fan, and I’d ultimately love to be around sports for the rest of my life.

MICHAEL PHELPS BY THE NUMBERS

7- The number of events he won at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, five of which saw him shattering world records by significant margins

20- The number of world records he has held over the course of his career

23- Phelps’ age heading into his third Summer Olympic Games

29- The number of U.S. National Titles he currently holds

79- Approximate number of inches in the lanky, 6’4” swimmer’s wingspan

One million- Number of dollars corporate sponsor Speedo would’ve given Phelps as a bonus had he not given up his spot in the 4x100-meter medley relay at the 2004 Olympics to Ian Crocker. That Gold medal would’ve been Phelps’ seventh in Athens, matching the record set by Mark Spitz in 1972

Nine million- The value of just one of Phelps’ numerous endorsement contracts (with Speedo)