|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
U.S. TEAM OLYMPIC TRIALS: SWIMMINGJune 28, 2012Michael PhelpsOMAHA, NEBRASKA THE MODERATOR: We're going to get started. Q. Michael, eight years ago you talked about wanting to change the sport. Are the crowds you've seen here both last time and this time pretty clear evidence that you've reached that goal? MICHAEL PHELPS: Yeah, it's come a long way. Like I said to Summer out there, last time we had a lot of people and now we have even more people standing and cheering us on. It's been pretty amazing to see the sport grow and change, and it's the excitement that we have in the pool that attracts people, I guess, and I think it can grow more and more and I think it will. And even though I'll finish the competitive part of my career, hopefully I can continue to take the sport to a new level, a bigger level. Q. Michael, a lot of swimmers enter a lot of events and end up scratching at the last minute. What's the strategy behind that? MICHAEL PHELPS: I mean, it really just gives you an option to see sort of how different events and different strokes are going. I guess different distances and that kind of thing for me. To scratch the 100 Free this morning, I just wanted a morning off, to be honest. I'm going to sit on my 100 Free from earlier in the year, and if that possibly has a chance‑‑ I guess there is a chance that I could be in a relay but it's up to the coaches, and it's a decision that I made. I was able to sleep in, and it felt nice, and that was just the reason why we do it. I don't know why everyone else does. Q. Michael, about Allison, can you talk about her. I wanted to know if you give her some advice. MICHAEL PHELPS: Like I said before, she's awesome. I love being around her. She always makes you smile, she is a very outgoing person, a very hard worker. I've been able to see her transform into the person who she is today, as a swimmer and as a person. I swam with her at Michigan, and she moved to Baltimore and has been training in Baltimore, and she is a hard worker. She is not afraid of anything, and it's showing. She is swimming well and it's been cool to watch her come in, like I said ‑‑ sorry. I can't think right now, it is freezing in this place. Holy crap! And I just got out of a 48‑degree ice bath! Q. Michael, you've held the world record in the 200 Fly since Missy has been five, or she was five when you set it for the first time. Is there anything left for you to learn in that race when you swim it? Is that your security blanket in good times, bad times and indifferent times, that event? MICHAEL PHELPS: Um, I think tonight‑‑ I think the biggest part I guess that I had tonight was I jumped on my second 50 a little too much, more than I wanted to. Like 28‑mid in the second 50 is probably a little too fast. I think I can change that, and if I can sort of relax a little more on that 50 I will be able to finish a lot faster. That's just been sort of what I broke on to the scene with, and that's something that we like having. We enjoy ‑‑ the Phelps enjoy that race. All of us have been decent 200 Flyers, so hopefully I can finish with something strong. Like I said before, I don't think that time tonight will win a gold medal. It's going to take a faster time than that. Q. Michael, do you have any sense where the United States Men's team right now would stack up against the world? MICHAEL PHELPS: You can look at times, but it's‑‑ you'll never know until once we all get together. We have an idea that we look fairly decent. I think some of the things we'll probably have to work on and get ready for. I think the 200, 400 relays and IM relays are going to be challenging events. We will be able to come together as a team, and we've been able to do that throughout my experience on the international level. I have no doubt we will be able to come together and get behind one another and prepare ourselves for‑‑ prepare ourselves for the best way we can to go out and represent our country. Q. Michael, about the 200 fly. You said it's not good enough time to win gold medal. In the rundown, who is going to be big competition for you? MICHAEL PHELPS: I know who you want me to say. (Laughter.) And, you know, that's the thing. There are going to be a lot of people. I'll say in 2008, there were some surprises to me about how‑‑ I guess how fast people swam in that race, and there are a lot of people who finished that race well. The person who finishes the race the best is going to win. You can't win the race by taking it out fast. Yeah, it's going to be a fun race and a very challenging race. The person who probably is under 30 on every single one of the 50s is going to win the race. Q. Michael you said about an hour ago this is the best your strokes have felt all week. It sounded like there is more to come, and I think you ended by saying that. Are you building a little bit? Can you explain? MICHAEL PHELPS: I think one of the big things is being able to have that morning off, this morning. Sort of being able to recover, and I need more recovery the older I'm getting. My body is in a lot more pain right now. I felt relaxed tonight. I don't know what it was. I could tell as soon as I jumped into the warm‑up pool my strokes felt, I guess, more "together," my body was moving better. I was more relaxed, I was happy, and Schmitty and I actually walked back this morning, got room service and sat and watched "Act of Valor" today, and we were able to sit around and tell jokes, and we were laughing. I think that was something that was pretty cool. Very relaxing day. I think it just showed in the race. I was comfortable, so I think that's something that just helped everything tonight. Hopefully it will carry through the rest of the week. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Michael. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|