Natalie Coughlin aims for medals haul

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exceeding the five Olympic medals she won in 2004 and lowering her 100 meters backstroke world record are what American Natalie Coughlin hopes to achieve at next month's Beijing Olympics.

Coughlin, 25, who won two gold, two silver and a bronze at the Athens Games, clocked a world record of 58.97 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, the third time she has broken the record this year.

"I feel great. I've never had so many lifetime bests in my adult career," Coughlin told Reuters in a telephone interview from California on Thursday.

"I'm swimming personal bests in the 100 back, the 100 freestyle and the 200 IM and those are my three individual events in Beijing. Hopefully I will be on three relays as well.

"So I have a full schedule in Beijing but I'm excited about the challenge and I think I'll fare pretty well."

Coughlin, who was the first woman to break one minute in the 100 backstroke in 2002, held the record until compatriot Hayley McGregory lowered her mark in a heat at the trials.

Coughlin reclaimed it in the next heat and then broke it again in the final and believes she could go faster.

"The beauty of swimming is that the water is dynamic, and is an ever-changing medium. There's no such thing as a perfect race and my swim at trials was far from a perfect race so I could always improve."

Coughlin said she is excited about making her first trip to Beijing, where she will also be championing, along with Chinese diver Gao Min, the charitable Hearts of Gold programme which links Olympians to community service projects.

The U.S. women's team should produce a slew of champions, said Coughlin, describing the team as young but experienced.

"Compared to the Athens team I think this women's team is younger, with the exception, of course, of Dara Torres," she said, referring to 41-year-old freestyler Torres, who will be competing in her fifth Olympics.

"The average is probably 20 to 22. We only have, on the female side, five or six returning Olympians. So we have quite a few rookies, but those rookies have had a good amount of international competition under their belt."

Coughlin said she was also expecting a sensational showing from compatriot Michael Phelps, who is aiming for a record eight gold medals in Beijing.

"He's just remarkable," said Coughlin, who added she intends to compete at the 2012 London Games.

"He's the best swimmer ever. You can't really compare him to anybody. He's phenomenal and what he's going to do in Beijing will be amazing."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)