Question: Katie what event are you most looking forward to and why?
Katie Hoff: I think I'm looking forward to both of the freestyle events, because, for me, I've gotten better at them over the last couple of years and the IMs were the first thing that I was really good at and I think I put a lot of pressure on them. When I'm swimming freestyle, we have fun with it and work on my stroke and it got a lot better and I feel a lot less nervous. So I'm looking forward to those races and I'm ready to compete.
Eric Shanteau earned his first Olympic team berth by winning the 200-meter breaststroke at trials.
Question: Eric, what are your feelings going into your first Olympic Games?
Eric Shanteau: Well, a lot of the guys talk about experience and having that first Olympic Games under your belt and I'm excited that this is my first one and I can kind of play it to my advantage ... A lot of people might say that that can add to the pressure, but I don't think that's the case. I've got nothing to lose at the Games. We already have the hard part, that's making the U.S. Olympic Team. It's one of the hardest things in the world to do as far as sports events go. So I think that, just being my first team, it's going to be a fun experience and I don't think I'm too worried about the pressure or anything like that. I think being a rookie, especially on this team is a good place to be because I've got a lot of guys with a lot of experience that I'm looking up to, so I definitely think it's a good place to be.
Last but not least, Natalie Coughlin won five medals in 2004, two of them gold. At trials, she qualified in 3 events and set a World Record in the 100m backstroke.
Question: Natalie, what are your expectations for Beijing?
Natalie Coughlin: I'm not really sure what to expect. To reiterate what a few other people have said, it's nice to go to the Olympic Games kind of having a picture based on my previous experience in Athens. I have an idea of what to expect, but it's going to be a lot different. I've added one more event to my plate …it will be fun; I'm definitely looking forward to the 100 back, 200 IM, 200 freestyle. They are three very different events and I have been working on all three.
My training is going very, very well, and like everyone said before me, we're really looking forward to getting this meet started. The training camp has been awesome, and we've been treated very, very well, but we're getting very stir crazy and ready to get the Games started.
Question: Michael, how do you deal with the pressure?
Michael Phelps: Well, the pressure's all coming from you guys, that's not me. I just focus on what my goals are. If I can come in and swim faster than I did at Trials, then I'm successful. If that means winning no gold medals, that's fine. I will have done what I wanted to do. As far as the Mark Spitz thing, I've said this before, and I'll say it again, I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz. I'm by no means downplaying his accomplishments, what he did is - was and still is - the greatest Olympic performance of all time and he will be always be remembered as the greatest or one of the greatest Olympians of all time and I'm just looking to hopefully do something different in the sport than what he did.
Question: Mark, Can you tell us how Dara is reacting to her coach's illness?
Mark Schubert: I think Dara has done a good job of compartmentalizing her coach's illness. Her coach is also a dear friend of mine, one of my best friends, and we talk about it and then when it's time to get in the pool, she does an outstanding job. Sometimes at the beginning of practice, there's a little bit of a negotiation getting going, but once it gets going, it gets going very well. I've felt very fortunate to be working with her. We've had Michael Lohberg in our thoughts all the time and Dara's been in communication with the family, but she also knows that Michael wants her to do a very good job here, so I think that gives her motivation to get the job done here and not have it be more of a distraction. But we can't help it being in our thoughts and I think that's the proper place for it to be and I think it's serving as motivation for her.
Question: Less of a serious question about the mustache [Michael Phelps']. Is that homage to Mark Spitz? What is that?
Michael Phelps: I purposely shaved it last night just for a joke. I've done it before a lot of my meets over the last few years. So I have a little 'stache for the next week then get rid of it.
Nothing big, just messing around with it.
Question: Mark, with all of the new swimsuits, do you think that this will be the toughest competition ever?
Mark Schubert: I think obviously over the last few years swimsuit technology has improved greatly and I think that technology will help every swimmer. But what it comes down to is every swimmer is going to put on a technologically-advanced suit and the best racer is still going to win. It's still all about racing. Yes, I think the times are going to be faster and if you want to say it's the toughest because you have to set your fastest time to accomplish your goal, maybe it's going to be the toughest, but to me it's still all about racing. People who know how to race well and who are prepared for it, will do well.
