Phelps joins Olympic greats: "That's pretty cool" (Feature)

By Peter Auf der Heyde Aug 12, 2008, 5:51 GMT

Beijing - US swimming superstar Michael Phelps, who on Tuesday became the fifth athlete in the history of the Olympics to win nine gold medals, called the feat 'pretty cool.'

Phelps, who won the men's 200m freestyle in a world record time of 1 minute 42.96 seconds, said he been made aware of the overall medals standings at the beginning of the year.

'When my coach Bob Bowman told me that, I said: 'That's pretty cool.'

Phelps' third gold in Beijing saw him join Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, US swimmer Mark Spitz and US star Carl Lewis as the only athletes to win nine Olympic golds.

'To be tied with such big names is amazing,' Phelps said.

The 23-year-old, who won six gold and two bronze medals in Athens and has since added the 400m individual medley, the 4x100m freestyle and on Tuesday the 200m freestyle, seems likely to become the single most successful athlete on Wednesday, when he will probably swim in two finals.

Less than an hour after his world record in the 200m freestyle, he qualified for Wednesday's final of the 200m butterfly by equalling his own Olympic record he set on Monday in the heats.

He will also swim in the 4x200m freestyle relay team, if the US qualifies later Tuesday without Phelps.

'I am fortunate to have a free session on Tuesday afternoon. Tomorrow is a big morning with two finals,' he said after his final race in the Beijing Water Cube.

Phelps said he was now looking forward to getting back to the athletes village to have some rest. 'I will have plenty of pasta and pizza and then try to get as much rest as I can.'

In Athens, four years ago, Phelps was beaten by Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband in the 200m freestyle and he said that had made him more determined to win this time around.

'When I do lose in races like that it motivates me to swim faster.'

He admitted that he was not finding the going as easy as it might look to outsiders. 'I have to give a lot in each race that I swim and that is not always very easy.'

He said he was not surprised that the Americans were doing so well - they took three out of four gold medals on offer Tuesday. 'It happened last year at the world championships in Melbourne. One swim started it and it just kept the ball rolling and rolling. So I think that's what happened here.'

The superstar is getting plenty of support from his teammates. Aaron Peirsol, who won gold in 100m backstroke on Tuesday in a world record time, said that Phelps was brilliant.

'At this level I believe it is more of a mental game than anything. It takes a certain amount of guts to do what Michael is doing at this level. The way he's attacking this meet, he's not just winning, he's destroying everything.'

Phelps, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in his youth and started swimming at aged 7, partly because of this and partly because of two older sisters who also swam.

He has always trained under Bow Bowman, whom he first encountered at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and followed to the University of Michigan in 2004, where he swims for Club Wolverine.

He first swam at the Olympics in 2000, becoming the youngest American male swimmer in 68 years. He placed fifth in the 200m butterfly.

Shortly afterwards, he became the youngest male ever to set a world record, when he swam 1:54.92 in the 200m butterfly.

He has announced that he will return to Baltimore after the Beijing Olympics and continue working with Bowman, who is returning to North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

Phelps, who could win an unprecedented eight gold medals in Beijing, earlier told journalists that he had never said he was going for the record. 'That is something the media wrote. Only my coach Bow Bowman and I know what my goals are.'

But he also said he never goes into the water without the intention of winning, or being scared that he can lose.

And that can only mean one thing: more golds and more records for Michael Phelps, who will probably set the new benchmark so high that it will take an extra-ordinary achievement to surpass it.