Swimming: Eight would be great for Phelps

By EUGENE BINGHAM in Athens

False modesty does not become Michael Phelps.

He laughs too much to be any good at it.

In Sydney, everybody knew that Marion Jones was making a "drive for five" - trying to win five track and field gold medals.

But do you think she would ever say so publicly? Hell no.

Four years later, another American sports celebrity is making an even more daring assault on a record medal tally.

Anyone with a passing interest in the Olympics knows that world record-smashing swimmer Phelps has come to Greece with his heart set on winning eight golds, an achievement which would eclipse fellow American Mark Spitz' seven in Munich.

But do you think anybody can pin him down to saying so?

"My first goal is to get one," Phelps told the most crowded pre-Olympic press conference this week. "I came back from Sydney with nothing. My goal is to win one medal and hopefully more from then."

Couldn't he just speculate a little on whether he could bag eight, reporters asked. The kiddish-looking swimmer, all ears and broad smile, chuckled.

It must be an odd thing to have a goal that everybody knows about but you dare not speak of.

Would we begrudge him if he did say it? Does he worry that it would be thrown back in his face if he returned home with, say, six, or four? Or one?

In the week before the Olympics, the most over-used line trotted out by athletes has been: "Oh, I'm just here to do my best."

Undoubtedly true.

Some athletes do prefer to prepare for the Games in a low-key way. For instance, alongside Phelps at the US swimming team press conference this week, women's 100m backstroke world record holder Natalie Coughlin, had this to say when asked about her chances for gold: "I often keep goals personal, but I am really, really excited about doing the 400m freestyle relay."

No one could argue with an athlete's desire to keep some dreams private.

But Phelps revels in his superstar status. The attention, he said, excited him. So why shouldn't he just come out and say, "Yeah, I really would love to win eight gold medals?"

He hasn't exactly ever denied it.

Instead, the fade became the source of jokes.

"Okay then," one Australian journalist told Phelps this week, "if you really are happy winning one gold - and all going to plan, that should happen on Saturday night - on behalf of the Australian swimming team would you mind packing up and leaving after that?"

Phelps just laughed again.

How about if you went home with seven silvers, then, Mr Phelps?

Another laugh and then: "I have no Olympic medals, so I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it."

The best answers had to come from Phelps' team mates.

Asked if he would be happy with a silver, 200m backstroke world record holder Aaron Peirsol gave a stunningly thoughtful answer.

"The first thing is that we are Olympians for life," he said. "Sometimes upsets do happen and that is what makes the Olympics so special. If we could all get gold medals, it would not be so special."

The truth at last.

Phelps should bravely and proudly say he wants eight gold medals. What harm is there for him? The relentless pursuit of a stated goal is what makes a champion golden.

Even if Phelps left Athens with one medal, he would have achieved something most of us can never even dream
of.

MICHAEL PHELPS

BORN: June 30, 1985, Baltimore

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 1.93m, 88kg

HOBBY: Playing video games

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: FINA's 2003 male world swimmer of the year. At the Sydney Olympics, aged 15, he was the youngest person for more than 50 years to be on the US swimming team.

In 2001, aged 15 years nine months, he became the youngest man to break a world swimming record.

CURRENT WORLD RECORDS: 200m fly (1m 53.93s) 200m individual medley (1m 55.94s) 400m individual medley (4m 09.09s) 400m medley relay (3m 31.54s)

EVENTS AND CHANCES

200M FREESTYLE

Shaping as the best race of the Games. Phelps will have to fight hard to beat Australian Ian Thorpe as well as Grant Hackett and Pieter Van Den Hoogenband.

100M BUTTERFLY

Faces a tough challenge from team mate Ian Crocker, the world record holder.

200M BUTTERFLY

Should win but will be chased by Frenchman Franck Esposito

200M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

A race he should bank on. He's Almost 4s faster than the next best.

400M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

Again, a race he should dominate.

4 x 100M FREESTYLE RELAY

It won't be easy - the Russians are shaping as a major threat.

4 x 200M FREESTYLE RELAY

The race he's least likely to win, as the US are very much underdogs against the powerful Australians.

4 x 100M MEDLEY RELAY

The US are 3.5s quicker than the next best, Russia.