Phelps' Olympic quest draws record ticket sales
OMAHA, Nebraska (AFP) — US swim star Michael Phelps' quest to capture a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics has become a record-smashing attraction five months before he dives in the water here.
USA Swimming announced here Friday that a record 106,000 tickets have been sold for the US Olympic Swim Trials on June 29-July 6, eclipsing the total sales from the 2004 Olympic trials with thousands more available.
Phelps, who turns 23 on the second day of the Olympic qualifying meet, won six gold medals and eight medals overall at the 2004 Athens Olympics and hopes to match the record seven gold medals won by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Olympics.
Phelps must qualify for events at Beijing during the eight-day US trials that are being staged inside a temporary pool in a sports arena for the first time.
"The response in Omaha has been fantastic," USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus said. "We are truly impressed with the efforts of the organizing committee and the enthusiasm of the fans surrounding this historic event."
Phelps will be the main attraction among more than 1,000 US men and women racing for no more than 52 US swim berths at Beijing.
