Swimming | Michael Phelps, Katie Hoff will stay busy at Olympics

OMAHA, Neb. — The rehearsal is over. Michael Phelps, Katie Hoff, Natalie Coughlin and Ryan Lochte are taking their show on the road to next month's Beijing Olympics.

The quartet was idle on the final night of the U.S. Olympic trials Sunday, getting a rare moment to enjoy their accomplishment of qualifying for multiple Olympic events.

Phelps will be the busiest in Beijing. He earned another shot at Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals set in the 1972 Olympics and will swim in eight events — five individual and all three relays.

"You guys talk about that," he told reporters, referring to Spitz's record. "I just get in the water and do what I love to do, and that's compete."

Spitz endorsed Phelps at the trials as a worthy successor, suggesting that after 36 years it is time for someone else to take his mantle.

Mark Schubert, head coach and general manager of the U.S. team, expressed confidence in Phelps.

"He's a performer," he said. "As the stage gets bigger, his performances get better."

Hoff also made it in five individual events, and she will also swim a relay.

Coughlin, a five-time medalist at the 2004 Athens Games, will swim in three individual events, as will Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay, who is Phelps' training partner in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Dara Torres made a big splash at the eight-day trials, winning the 50- and 100-meter freestyles at age 41.

"It's a lot of swimming," she said. "I am 41; I am realistic."

Torres has dropped the 100 from her schedule and she will be replaced in that event by Lacey Nymeyer, who finished third at the trials.

Torres had expressed concern that competing in two individual events and possibly two relays during the eight-day competition would be too hard on her body.

Torres will be the oldest American to swim at the Olympics — her record fifth — but she wants more.

"I can't sit here and lie and say, 'Oh, I'm just glad I'm going,' " Torres said. "I want a medal."

Torres won the 50 free Sunday in 24.25 seconds to lower the American record of 24.38 she set the previous night in the semifinals.

"I was hoping to go somewhat fast, because they have girls in the world that are going 24.1s and 23.9," she said. "I have five more weeks to try to drop a couple tenths to hopefully be in competition with those girls."

Torres already has done what few thought possible, returning from her second retirement to reclaim her place as America's most dominant female sprinter. She was so focused on making the team she tuned out media reports on her feats and instead got a sense of her impact through e-mails.

"From people and from friends of friends who have said that they feel like they can go out and do things that they've put off, they thought they couldn't do," Torres said. "I feel like I'm being inspired by all the people that are e-mailing and talking to me."

Megan Jendrick of Puyallup also is in the comeback lane. She won two gold medals in Sydney under her maiden name of Quann, becoming the youngest medalist on the 2000 U.S. swim team at 16.

Jendrick narrowly missed making the 2004 Olympic team and briefly retired. She will swim the 100 breaststroke in Beijing.

"It just feels amazing to be back on top," she said. "My goal is to definitely break the world record and win the gold again."