Phelps cautious about his Olympic ambitions
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-12 05:51

Michael Phelps is trying to play down his superhuman image down in the pool and ready to get back to earth.

The teenage sensation, bidding to become the first athlete in history to win eight gold medals from one games, said he needs to start right from the beginning to achieve the unprecedented accomplishment.

Michael Phelps celebrates after breaking his own world record and winning the 400 meter long course individual medley final, in a time of four minutes, 8.41 seconds at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Long Beach, California, July 7, 2004. [Reuters/file]

"The first goal is to get one gold medal," said Phelps. "I came back from Sydney with nothing so hopefully I can win one and then move on from there."

The 19-year-old from Baltimore, is seen as one of the games' biggest phenomenon with a possibility of eclipsing Mark Spitz's record of winning seven golds in one games set at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Speculations have been raised to a highest pitch about whether the US hot potato is too ambitious to make a history even from some other swimming greats.

Grand Hackett, the Australia's 1,500m freestyle world record holder and Olympic defending champion, said on Tuesday that he hoped that the eight-gold pursuit would not be a burden for the US youth and said "winning six gold medals is already a big result and not a big disappointment."

And Phelps dealt the doubts smartly, insisting that one gold will be happy enough for him.

"I'd be happy with one gold medal. How many people in the world can have one gold medal?" he said.

"I just try to do my best and stick to the one gold medal goal."

Phelps could swim in two individual medley events, 100m, 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle and three relay events.

The toughest challenge is from 200m freestyle in which he will face Australia's world record holder Ian Thorpe and Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenban of the Netherlands.

But Phelps said he will treat every race equal despite the different challenges he will face in different races.

"Every race is important," he said. "And every race will be exciting."

However, he left the history-making chance wide open, saying that he will take every opportunity to make it.

"I wouldn't say anything is impossible. I am keeping my options open," he said.

"In 1980 nobody thought that anyone could beat the Russians in (ice) hockey, but the Americans did it.

"So nothing is impossible," he said.

Phelps, the most recognized swimmer in a star-studded US team, is also trying to reduce his "Big Michael Shadow" on his teammates.

"It's exciting coming to the games with probably the most dominant USA team in history," he said.

And his teammates just neglect it.

"We do not feel that we are in the shadow of Michael at all," said Amanda Beard, the women's 200m breaststroke world record holder.

"He's a great athlete who's brought a lot of recognition to the sport and he deserves a lot of attention."

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