US swimmers set to dominate in Beijing
Friday, 11 July 2008
LOS ANGELES, July 10 (AFP):Always formidable in the Olympic pool, the United States will launch a squad of proven performers at Beijing's Water Cube in their bid to maintain their swimming superiority.
Eight of the nine world records set or matched at the US trials June 29-July 6 were produced by swimmers with previous Olympic experience, including two medley world records for multi-event superstar Michael Phelps.
"We always talk about experience," said US men's head coach Eddie Reese. "More important is good experience and good results." The US has plenty of that to draw on.
Phelps, who won six gold and two bronze in Athens, is again the figurehead of a US men's team that could conceivably approach the record of 12 gold medals captured by the American men in Montreal in 1976. Phelps himself will tackle five individual events, in four of which he holds the world record - the 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly and the 200m and 400m individual medleys.
His fifth individual event could well turn out to be a tussle with teammate Ian Crocker in the 100m butterfly, in which Crocker holds the world record but trails in his head-to-head rivalry with Phelps.
Eight of the nine world records set or matched at the US trials June 29-July 6 were produced by swimmers with previous Olympic experience, including two medley world records for multi-event superstar Michael Phelps.
"We always talk about experience," said US men's head coach Eddie Reese. "More important is good experience and good results." The US has plenty of that to draw on.
Phelps, who won six gold and two bronze in Athens, is again the figurehead of a US men's team that could conceivably approach the record of 12 gold medals captured by the American men in Montreal in 1976. Phelps himself will tackle five individual events, in four of which he holds the world record - the 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly and the 200m and 400m individual medleys.
His fifth individual event could well turn out to be a tussle with teammate Ian Crocker in the 100m butterfly, in which Crocker holds the world record but trails in his head-to-head rivalry with Phelps.