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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 3:47 p.m., Sunday, July 6, 2008

Swimming: Phelps rests on rare 'off' day from racing

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. — On the eighth day, Michael Phelps rested.

The swimming superstar got the final day of the U.S. Olympic trials off, having qualified for the Beijing Olympics in five individual events and three relays to give himself a chance at breaking Mark Spitz's vaunted mark of seven gold medals.

Phelps did his usual morning workout in the pool, then planned to be in the stands cheering on his trials roommate Erik Vendt in the 1,500-meter freestyle Sunday night.

That's about the only down time Phelps will get over the next month.

The entire U.S. Olympic swimming team gathers in Palo Alto, Calif., beginning Monday for a 2½-week training camp.

Then the team leaves July 25 for Singapore, where they'll do more resting than training, before arriving in Beijing Aug. 5, four days before the swimming competition opens.

"I don't think we're going to Beijing to enjoy the atmosphere," Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman, said. "We're going to do a certain job. For Michael and me, we have to keep our eye on the ball with what we're trying to do."

Phelps' goal?

Win eight golds in a single games, making him the greatest Olympian ever.

Just don't expect him to bring up the topic.

"You guys talk about that," he told reporters. "I just get in the water and do what I love to do, and that's compete."

Phelps won all five of his events at the trials and set world records in the 200 and 400 individual medleys.

Mark Schubert, head coach and general manager of the U.S. team, anticipates Phelps will be a bit more rested going into the Olympics than he was in Omaha, which could mean more world records.

"He can only rest so much to be ready to tackle this kind of a program. You're going to see Michael's improvement coming more emotionally," Schubert said. "He's a performer. As the stage gets bigger, his performances get better."

Phelps isn't worried about the chaotic atmosphere that awaits him in Beijing, where the world's media and millions of people will be tracking his every race.

"When I'm in an environment like that, I can mentally put myself anywhere and I can focus," he said. "I have goals for myself and that's what I'm shooting for."

With head phones clamped on, Phelps walked back and forth between his hotel and the pool mostly unrecognized during 10 days in Omaha.

"When I'm away from the swimming pool, I just go about my business," he said.

On the Internet, it's a different story.

Phelps has joined a couple of social networking sites, and he's amused at the number of so-called online friends he's accumulated.

"I'll see names I went to high school with or middle school, people I've never talked to like ever once in my life," he said. "Sometimes people do just come out of the woodwork, but I know who my friends are."

No matter what happens in Beijing, Phelps is looking forward to getting away from his relentless training regimen when the games end.

"I want to be lazy for a while, having some time off to just be able to relax and not have a schedule," he said. "If I want to stay in bed until two in the afternoon, I'm going to stay in bed until two in the afternoon."