It will be no easy feat if Michael Phelps can get to 7 golds in Beijing; the attempt will require perfection, not just by Phelps, but by his US teammates who he'll need to pick up crucial relay golds. He has a bit of a cushion, and if he is perfect, he could win number 8 on the final day in the medley relay. If he falters at any point, the relay would be number 7. If the latter occurs, there's another swimmer who could make history before him: Katie Hoff. Four years after disappointing results in Athens, Hoff might just replace Phelps as the star of the Beijing Games.
Let's just take a look at her recent swims as an indication of what might come this summer:
Missouri, mid-February: Hoff wins the 100 free in 54.28, a time that matches Britta Steffen as the fastest in the world this year. This sets her up to swim the 100 free individually or on the relay. About an hour later she wins the 400 free in a new American record and near World record of 4:02.20.
Day 2 Missouri: Hoff opens with a win in the 200 free with another American record of 1:56.08. This sets her up to swim the individual event and the relay. Three events later she wins the 400IM in 4:34.53 (She is already the world record holder and defending world champ in this event).
Day 3 Missouri: Hoff wins the 800 free in 8:27.32 before finishing 2nd in the 200IM to Kirsty Coventry in 2:10.23.
Less than 2 weeks later she breaks the American record in the 1650 yards with a 15:24.35, almost 5 seconds faster than Kate Zielger's record.
Of course she will have competition from Coventry in the IMs and Laure Manaudou and Zielger in the frees, but Hoff means business and she is not afraid of either hard work or swimming a hard schedule. There are few, if any, other women in the world who can swim a 54-low in season and back it up with 4:34-400IM and sub-8:30 800 free in the same meet.
The Phelps vs. Hoff showdown: The two Baltimore natives could go one for one as they tally up the golds in Beijing. If Phelps wins the 400IM, 400 free relay, 200 free, 200 fly, 800 free relay, 200IM, and 100 fly, and Hoff wins the 400IM, 400 free relay, 400 free, 200 free, 200IM, 800 free relay, and 100 free, she will get to 7 first. If she doesn't do the 100 free, Phelps could get to 7 first as the final of the 100 fly for men on Day 8 is right before the final of the 800 free for women.
Regardless, the quest for either swimmer is awesome on its own. Who, if anyone, gets there first should be irrelevant. Most swimmers dream of 1 Olympic gold, but if Phelps and Hoff have anything to say, there won't be many left for the rest of the world's swimmers after they're done.
Text source: SwimNews.com
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