Well prepared US swim team looking forward to start (Roundup)

By Peter Auf der Heyde Aug 6, 2008, 10:25 GMT

Beijing - A 'well prepared' US team was looking forward to the start of the Olympic swimming competition, team members led by Michael Phelps said on Wednesday.

Phelps alone will be going for an unprecedented eight gold medals from five individual races and three relays.

Asked whether he thought that he could break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Games from 1972, the 23-year-old said that he had never set out with that as a goal.

'I have never spoken about records. It is you guys in the media who have been writing about that. Only my coach Bob Bowman and myself know my goals and that is what I am hoping to achieve,' he said.

Phelps said that he had not spoken to Spitz: 'He wished me luck at the US trials, but apart from that, I have not really spoken much to him.'

Phelps, who won six gold medals and two bronze in Athens four years ago and needs four gold medals to become the all-time leading Olympian, said that he was very impressed with the facilities in Beijing.

'It's a top-of-the-line facility. It's exciting when you walk into the pool. I can imagine the whole thing jam-packed and being loud. It's definitely something I'm looking forward to walking out on that first day and being in that atmosphere,' Phelps said.

The 41-year-old Dara Torres agreed with Phelps.

'The facilities are simply awesome. Everything is just beautiful. They did an awesome job.'

Torres, who came out of retirement after giving birth and has a daughter, will be competing in her fifth Olympic Games.

'I see the way I was in Los Angeles in 1984 when I competed the first time and then I look at some of the younger team members,' she said.

'When I see some of the younger swimmers in the squad bounce off the walls with excitement I have to remind myself that I was like that myself. So I try not to be too much of a mom.'

Phelps also said the team rallied behind Eric Shanteau when he announced shortly after the trials that he was suffering from testicular cancer.

'I lost my grandmother to cancer and I know it's not an easy battle. His goal was to swim at the Olympic Games and he's excited. We're all supporting each other in everything we do,' said Phelps.

Shanteau said that he had no problems in maintaining his focus on the Olympics.

'That is actually very easy. A lot of the other swimmers have to deal with a lot of pressure. I don't. I got an out in cancer.

'This has taught me that there are other things apart from swimming, there is a lot more to life. It has placed everything in perspective,' said Shanteau.

'I have been inspired by Lance Armstrong,' he said in reference to the compatriot cyclist, who overcame the same illness to win seven Tour de France titles.

'I was inspired by him even before I was diagnosed. I am confident that I will be cured and that I will beat this.'

The head coach of the women's team, Jack Bauerle, said that after the US trials earlier this year, they had changed their expectations because the team had performed so well.

'We would like to be better than we were in Athens four years ago and we were already pretty good there,' he said.