Sports

Phelps' next endeavor: Promote swimming

Krayzelburg, Crocker also helping in 'Disney’s Swim with the Stars'

updated 6:15 p.m. ET Sept. 3, 2004

ATLANTA - With all eight Olympic medals safely put away and a slight hint of a goatee, Michael Phelps is taking on his next challenge — promoting the sport of swimming.

Phelps and two teammates from the Athens Games, Lenny Krayzelburg and Ian Crocker, stopped by Atlanta on Friday to demonstrate their skills at a downtown elementary school.

Sure, they’re getting paid for the monthlong tour, dubbed “Disney’s Swim with the Stars,” but the concept is in keeping with Phelps’ desire to transform swimming into more than just a once-every-four-years pastime.

“I’m so thankful to have an opportunity like this,” he said. “Hopefully, we can run with it.”

The timing is certainly right. Phelps was the biggest star in Athens, winning six golds and two bronzes to equal the record for most medals won at a single Olympics. Only 19, he has a chance to take his sport to unparalleled heights before his career is done.

On the other hand, while swimming has long been one of the most popular sports at the Olympics, it’s barely acknowledged by Americans in between the games.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do,” Phelps said. “Hopefully, we can attract more focus to the sport. It’s been a part of my life for 11 years. I’ve had so much fun. I’ve done and achieved so much because of swimming. Hopefully, we can pass that on to the kids and they can find something they like about it.”

Phelps, Crocker and Krayzelburg visited John Hope Elementary, a school of mostly minority students next door to Martin Luther King Jr.’s crypt at the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

At a small, indoor pool with a view of the Atlanta skyline, the swimmers gave a brief demonstration of the sport’s four strokes. Phelps handled the butterfly and breaststroke, Krayzelburg did the backstroke. Crocker finished with the freestyle.

There also was a relay race, with the three Olympians taking the anchor legs. Krayzelburg won easily after inheriting a big lead from the three kids swimming ahead of him, but Phelps showed his competitive fire by stretching out to touch the wall ahead of Crocker, popping from the water with a telling smile.

It was a good-natured replay of their Olympic duel in the 100-meter butterfly. Crocker was the world-record holder, but Phelps edged his countryman for the gold in Athens. Afterward, Phelps gave his spot in the 400 medley relay final, allowing Crocker to win a gold medal.

The gracious gesture was not lost on the youngsters in Atlanta.

“He’s the guy who let the other guy swim for him,” said 10-year-old Makalani Mack, who had just come out of the water after getting a ride on Phelps’ back.

Asked if he knew how many medals Phelps had won, Mack said, “I think it was five.” Told the correct number, his eyes got bigger. “Ohhhh, eight.”

Krayzelburg, who has won four gold medals at the last two Olympics, said he hasn’t noticed any change in Phelps since they returned from Athens earlier this week.

“He’s been great,” Krayzelburg said. “What he accomplished was absolutely remarkable. But he’s still the same person.”

Phelps said he got the last of his eight medals — a gold for swimming the preliminaries of the 400 medley relay — during Sunday night’s closing ceremony. He didn’t have any of them to show off to the youngsters in Atlanta.

“They’re in a secret place,” he said with a sly grin. “They’re not with me, I’ll say that.”

Phelps appeared to be starting on a goatee, but said he’s just been “lazy” with the razor.

“It gets to this point, then it grows very, very slowly,” he said. “I don’t know if I have the look for a goatee.”

After getting a chance to enjoy the second week of the Olympics — he attended other events and ate plenty of fast food — Phelps returned to the pool a couple of days ago to resume training. He’ll swim at the short course world championships in Indianapolis next month, then plans to take part in four or five meets through the fall and winter to prepare himself for the national championships in February.

Phelps, who still lives at home with his mother, will move from his native Baltimore to Ann Arbor, Mich., in November. His longtime coach, Bob Bowman, has taken a job at the University of Michigan. Phelps is going along, too, looking forward to joining a new training group and enrolling in some college classes.

In the meantime, Phelps can’t wait to get home.

The Olympic tour will be at the University of Maryland next Friday. The following day, Baltimore County officials plan to honor their local hero with a “Phelpstival” — party, parade and presentation of the county key.

“I’m so pumped to go back home,” Phelps said. “I can’t wait to get back to Baltimore and see what I’ve missed.”