A week after he bettered his world record in the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps returned to the NBAC's training facility in Mount Washington for the first time yesterday. He was surrounded by dozens of the club's younger competitors, just as he drew the attention of agents and representatives of sporting goods companies at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
"The major players in the apparel industry have expressed interest," said Bob Bowman, his coach with NBAC. "Right now, we're in the preliminary stages of sifting through all that. Between the offers from those companies and the prize money that's available, Michael has the opportunity to do things in the sport that are virtually unprecedented."
Phelps will be a junior at Towson High this fall and graduate from there in June 2003. Instead of going away to college, he plans to spend the next year living with his mother at their home in Rodgers Forge and training at the NBAC in preparation for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
"I'd like to stay home more than anything," Phelps said of the buildup to his second Olympics. "Bob [Bowman] is the best coach for me; he knows the most about me. Our relationship is great."
The NCAA has taken steps to allow swimmers to place prize money from major meets, such as the Olympics, in a trust fund, but Phelps would forfeit his college eligibility if he were to hire an agent or endorse a product.
Phelps finished fifth in the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, in September, when he became the youngest American male to swim in the Games since 1932. After he became what is believed to be the youngest man ever to hold a world record in March, discussions about Phelps' future accelerated.
"We knew that inevitable questions would come up," Bowman said. "We could drop this thing and he could pursue college swimming, but with his performance in Japan, the opportunities are becoming harder to ignore. You have to take them seriously. If there is an opportunity to provide Michael with a base not only for the next four years, but maybe the rest of his life, we have to look at those."
Bowman said that Phelps has not hired an agent, but did not rule out the possibility of his turning pro before he leaves next week for the Summer Nationals in Clovis, Calif.
"I think Michael represents a special case, particularly in American swimming," Bowman said. "We want to make sure that he has sufficient representation to not only do things in the swimming world, but outside of it."
Bowman was unaware of any American male swimmers who turned pro in high school.
While many post-collegians have endorsement contracts with Speedo, Nike or other suit manufacturers, no U.S. male has been able to transcend the sport the way Mark Spitz did in 1972, when he won seven gold medals. Whereas the Olympics were an amateur pursuit then, U.S. stars like Lenny Krayzelburg now earn substantial incomes, although not in the vicinity of the $5 million Australian Ian Thorpe reportedly made even before the 2000 Games.
FINA, swimming's international governing body, is threatening to remove the 800 freestyle from the Olympic program. It's an event Thorpe dominates, and in its absence, the 18-year-old might pursue the 200 fly. Speculation started in Japan about a Phelps-Thorpe meeting in 2004, a match that would have the potential to be one of the most hyped in Olympic swim history.
"A lot of the attention that's been paid to Michael is in comparisons to Ian," Bowman said. "I think it's interesting, and justified."
Bowman said that he won't sacrifice Phelps' progress toward the Olympics for a quick payday. Phelps will pass on the Goodwill Games in Australia next month, even though the rewards include $50,000 for a world record. He missed nearly a month of his sophomore year at Towson High for the Sydney Games. Minus an athletic scholarship, Bowman said that money would be set aside for Phelps' college education.
"It's very important that Michael receive a first-rate college education, and he will," Bowman said. "The form that he takes has yet to be decided. Having his college education provided for one way or another is a major concern."
At the Summer Nationals, Phelps will pass on the 200 fly and swim the 100 fly, 200 backstroke, 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley. The prospect that it might be his first meet as a pro did not seem to affect him.
"If it does happen, it would keep him home longer, and I would like that," said Phelps' mother, Debbie. "His sisters offer different perspectives. Hillary liked college swimming, and Whitney liked club better. We've talked about this at home a lot. The ultimate goals for a lot of collegians are to make a national team, swim in the Olympics and break a world record. That's all been done by Michael."
His father, Fred, said, "As long as Michael's having fun, that's the most important thing."
"This is the best thing for me," Phelps said.
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