Mark Schubert has served as the head coach and general manager of USA Swimming since 2006, where he is charged with leading the U.S. Team to successes at multiple international meets, including the Olympic Games.
Question: Mark, how have you found the training conditions to be here in Singapore?
Mark Schubert: First of all, I want to thank the Sports Council and the membership of the Singapore Island Country Club. The Sports Council was very encouraging that we came here to do this. They have made every effort to make our stay here ideal. We would also like to recognize the members of the club because we know that they have had to make sacrifices for us to be here. We appreciate all the accommodations that they have made. You're right, it wasn't just gold medals, but I think we have had a great cultural experience here and made a lot of friends, and we will remember this part of our Olympic journey for a long time to come.
This is the fun camp for the athletes. We had a lot of very hard training in Palo Alto. I remember hearing Michael say at one of our last practices in Palo Alto, 'two more days and then the fun starts' and I think that being here in a wonderful hotel, the Shangri-la and being at the country club has been spectacular and very relaxing and just what we were looking for, so again thank you so much.
Dara Torres became the oldest swimmer to qualify for a U.S. Olympic team and the only swimmer to make five Olympic teams, winning the 50 and 100 meter freestyle events at Olympic Trials.
Question: Dara, what are you most looking forward to about these games?
Dara Torres: Well let's see. This is my fifth Games and I think I'm just looking forward to see how it compares to other Games. The competition is much more competitive than it's ever been and I'm just looking forward to the whole -- just to take everything in about the Olympic Games and to enjoy the whole experience - sorry, I had a hard workout today - and the experience, I am just really looking forward to it.
Michael Phelps became the first athlete to win eight medals at a non-boycotted games in 2004 when he won six gold and two bronze medals.
Question: Michael, how has training been going?
Michael Phelps: Well this is probably some of the best training I've done in quite some time and, you know, I guess like Mark said, coming here was the fun part and we're all getting so much more excited, and the closer we get, we can hardly wait for the Olympics to actually come. You know, we've waited four years but it seems like it was last week but yeah, I trained well today, I've been feeling good in the water.
What I've been looking forward to for the last four years is finally here. I'd like to also thank the Singapore Country Club for allowing us to be here. We've had a great training camp here and we couldn't ask for anything more, and for me it's been fun. It's been fun to see the monkeys out there. I actually went out to the golf course yesterday to see the monkeys and take some pictures.
Brendan Hansen is the world record holder in the 100m breaststroke, an event he won at Olympic Trials to qualify for his second Olympic team. In 2004, he won three medals - a gold, silver and bronze.
Question: Brendan, how is it different going to your second Olympic Games?
Brendan Hansen: I think the second time around, you kind of wake up every day and you kind of know what that day is going to bring, whereas when you go to your first Games, every day is new and you don't know what's going to happen. So when you go to your second Games, you're a little more focused and you know what to expect, so when you know what to expect, you're obviously going to be more prepared, and when you're more prepared, you're more successful. I'm just looking at these Games and hoping that I'll be more successful than I was last time.
I'm excited about it. Most of the team has been chomping at the bit this last week, waiting for the week to go by. We are definitely anxious to get to Beijing and for the Games to get started.
