PHELPS TAKES FIRST STEPS TOWARD OLYMPIC GOLD

 

                                     
Home
 
 

comments?
email us

 

 

PHELPS TAKES FIRST STEPS TOWARD OLYMPIC GOLD

OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - Michael Phelps joins more than 1,200 swimmers this weekend for U.S. trials that he must dominate if he is to break Mark Spitz�s 1972 record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics.

With an exhausting program that will see him swim nine individual events over eight days of cut-throat competition in Omaha, the 22-year-old phenomenon will be under tremendous pressure.

While Phelps is recognized as one of swimming�s all-time greats, and in many respects has already become a poster-boy for the Beijing Games, his prowess means little under the ruthless U.S. qualifying system.

The trials, which begin on Sunday, have a �win and you�re in� criteria which means that Phelps cannot afford to make any wrong moves.

Reputations and past performance will count for nothing in Omaha, where the top two finishers in each event will qualify for Beijing.

�You just can�t discount people coming out of the woodwork,� Mark Schubert, head coach and general manager of the U.S. swim team told a teleconference ahead of the trials.

�It is going to happen at the trials and it is certainly going to happen at the Games and he (Phelps) needs to be prepared to swim better than he has ever swum before to accomplish the goal that he has stated he wants to accomplish.

�Michael is going to have to take it one challenge at a time.�

Winner of six gold medals at the Athens Olympics, Phelps is scheduled to swim the 100, 200 and 400 meters freestyle, the 200 and 400 individual medley, the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 100 and 200 butterfly at the Qwest Centre pool.

FIERCE COMPETITION

Schubert said he would be surprised if Phelps saw all nine events through to the finals.

�Over the eight days I don�t know if Michael wouldn�t get bored if he doesn�t swim a lot of events,� said Schubert. �I don�t know if he will go ahead with all of them but I think he will go ahead with many of them at least through the prelims.

�I think you�ll see him become more selective through the semis and I think in the finals you will see him swim in the events he expects to swim in Beijing.�

The competition is expected to be fierce in Omaha with Schubert predicting third place finishers in some events will produce efforts good enough to medal in Beijing but not good enough to get them there.

The men�s 200 meter backstroke will include reigning Olympic champion and former-world record holder Aaron Peirsol, current world champion and record holder Ryan Lochte and Phelps. Only two will qualify for Beijing.

That crucible of competition is expected to produce a battle-hardened squad that many predict could be the greatest in any Olympics, eclipsing the U.S. men�s team that swept 12 of the 13 gold medals on offer at the 1976 Montreal Summer Games

�I think the 76 men�s Olympic team was without a doubt the greatest men�s Olympic team in history and I think the 08 team, if they want to be the best team they will have to earn it,� said Schubert. �It is going to be a huge challenge.

�Do I think they have the potential? I do. But I would not say this is the greatest team in history until they do.�

(Writing by Steve Keating in Grand Blanc, Michigan, editing by Alan Baldwin and Padraic Halpin)

click here for other articles

 
  1. https://aireyys.com/
  2. https://www.aghu.org/
  3. https://www.cosac.org/
  4. https://greaterclevelandurbanfilmfestival.org/
  5. https://greenhousegaslab.org/
  6. https://www.frankvanaken.com/
  7. https://www.ecopracticum.com/
  8. https://www.maximaphiles-francais.org/
  9. https://alisonjohnsonmcs.com/
  10. https://www.namicentralvirginia.org/
  11. https://burningbridgescomedyclub.com/
  12. https://www.unikomarcas.com/
  13. https://cranesmusic.com/
  14. https://www.essenzasalonspa.com/
  15. https://www.nymic.org/
  16. https://www.boeart.org/
  17. https://darasard.com/
  18. https://www.forthenomads.org/
  19. https://wpctlh.org/
  20. https://seminariodeosma-soria.org/
  21. https://www.universaldesignssalon.com/
  22. https://www.elysiumofaz.com/
  23. https://concursoinnovate.com/
  24. https://sycamoreseniorcenter.org/
  25. https://www.internationalmedalist.org/
  26. https://www.standrewscny.org/
  27. https://www.wfgi.org/
  28. https://www.pabiodiversity.org/
  29. https://www.bellevueacneclinic.com/
  30. https://www.mediation-sanitaire.org/
  31. https://romainbayle-photographe.com/
  32. slot demo
  33. demo slot
  34. pengeluaran kamboja
  35. togel kamboja
  36. slot demo
  37. demo pg
  38. toto macau
  39. toto macau
  40. keluaran macau
  41. togel macau
  42. demo slot
  43. sbobet
  44. sbobet
  45. slot dana
  46. slot via dana
  47. judi parlay
  48. togel kamboja
  49. judi bola
  50. keluaran kamboja
  51. Pengeluaran Cambodia
  52. judi bola
  53. Togel Kamboja
  54. slot thailand
  55. togel kamboja
  56. togel kamboja
  57. keluaran kamboja
  58. slot gacor
  59. keluaran cambodia
  60. pengeluaran macau
  61. slot server thailand
  62. pengeluaran kamboja
  63. sbobet
  64. sbobet88
  65. togel sidney
  66. slot demo online
  67. slot via qris
  68. slot deposit dana
  69. slot qris
  70. slot qris
  71. pintarbersamamedan.org
  72. https://www.tropicaltopless.com/top/
  73. slot qris
  74. slot qris
  75. login generasitogel
  76. link generasitogel
  77. daftar generasitogel
  78. generasitogel
  79. situs generasitogel