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Although Phelps is clearly the standout star in a bright galaxy of American swimmers, some of his teammates bristle at the recognition he receives. The U.S. men's team boasts world-record holders in seven events--Phelps in the 200m and 400m individual medleys and the 200m butterfly, Brendan Hansen in the 100m and 200m breaststrokes, Aaron Peirsol in the 200m backstroke and Ian Crocker in the 100m butterfly. Peirsol and Crocker have beaten Phelps to the wall this year, and Crocker famously halted Phelps' run at a perfect six golds and six world records at the 2003 world championships. "I don't think anyone holds any ill will or anything, and Michael certainly deserves the attention he is getting," says Peirsol. "But this is one of the best teams that the U.S. has sent to the Olympics, so I hope everybody on this team gets the credit they deserve." Phelps won't be racing Peirsol in the backstroke at the Olympics, but he will face Crocker in the 100 fly. "If Michael wants to [beat Spitz's record], he's going to have to do it himself," says Crocker. "I'm definitely not giving any favors."
It's the same tension that Thorpe and his teammates have been grappling with since the Australian catapulted to stardom in the run-up to Sydney. Thorpe's status has isolated him from the camaraderie of the swimming circle, and inevitable jealousies have erupted over his special status. "We have never had a Michael Phelps before," notes Rowdy Gaines, a triple gold medalist in 1984. "He can swim a lot of events, and that can create a lot of jealousy." Phelps does not sound all that bothered. "If it comes up, it comes up," he responds with typical teenage aplomb. "I'll just deal with it."
Growing up with two sisters who swam competitively, Phelps was practically raised at the pool. "The summer he was born was the summer I started swimming," says his oldest sister Hilary, 26. "The poor kid was always getting dragged to the pool." His mother Debbie remembers bringing baby Michael along in a carrier and parking him on the pool deck during his sisters' practices. When he was 7, Phelps learned to swim, but it took weeks before he could do anything more than the backstroke. "I was afraid to put my head underwater," he admits.
Once he did, his talent surfaced almost immediately. Swimming with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club at age 11, he set a national record for his age group in the 100m butterfly. That caught the attention of Bob Bowman, then an assistant coach at the club. "What I noticed about him was that he was fiercely competitive in everything he did, whether it was swimming a race or playing a game at the pool," he says. "He always wanted to win." Bowman called Phelps' parents in for a meeting, alerting them to their son's potential, and in 1996 laid out a 15year plan that would include Phelps' being a part of the 2004, 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. "I'm thinking, This man is crazy," Debbie recalls. "This is my 11year-old baby, and you're projecting 2012?"