No promise of "smashing guitars" by U.S. team
BEIJING (Reuters) - There was no mention of smashing guitars as the United States opted for a more diplomatic approach to their forecast for the Olympic swimming program.
Led by Michael Phelps, the Americans are brimming with confidence about their prospects of a golden harvest in the Water Cube but are being careful not to provide any free ammunition to their rivals.
They have good reason to be confident, they boast the world record holders in eight of the 13 men's individual events and are favorites to win all three relays.
Head coach Eddie Reese said the Americans could win the relays with their second-string lineups and predicting they could even break world records in the heats.
"I really do think we could see world records in the heats. There are some really, really fast guys who will be pushing hard," he said on Thursday.
Ian Crocker, who holds the world record for 100 butterfly, also believed the Americans could break records with their reserve team.
"The main goal in the heats is to secure yourself a place in the final and not necessarily to break world records," he said.
"Having the amount of talent we have in the team in many strokes and distances we could theoretically go out and break the world record and Olympic record in the heats without really pressing too hard."
As the most successful nation in Olympic swimming, the Americans have plenty to brag about though their brash approach backfired on them at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when they began trading friendly insults with the Australians.
At the U.S. Olympic trials, the Americans started selling t-shirts which read: "Kangaroo - it's what's for dinner" then just before the Games began, Gary Hall goaded the hosts further by predicting the U.S. would "smash them like guitars".
The U.S. had never been beaten in the men's 4x100 meters freestyle final and were favorites to win in Sydney before Australian teenager Ian Thorpe reeled in Hall on the final few strokes to win gold and break the world record.
Michael Klim, who broke the individual 100 world record as the lead-off swimmer, ecstatically rammed home the riposte with a gleeful display of 'air guitar'.
Garrett Weber-Gale, the new leader of American freestyle sprinting, watched that race on television and while he admitted he loved the theatre of it, there was no way he was going to provide their opponents with free ammunition.
"I'm not into trash talking at all," he said.
"It was kind of fun to watch all that in 2000 with Klim strumming the guitars, it was really comical stuff, But I'm sure Gary felt like an absolute idiot.
"I love all that rivalry stuff... but I don't want to bring that sort of pressure on myself."
(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
