At the Foro Itlalico pool, Tyler McGill trudged down the long blue carpet runway toward the horde of media.
“I didn’t see Phelps,” McGill started before the first question was fired.
There was an awkward pause. No one watched McGill’s one hundred butterfly final. All eyes were transfixed on the epic battle between Cavic and Phelps.
McGill shifted his weight from one foot to the other, “It was an honor to be in the butterfly final that broke the 50 second barrier.” McGill shook his head as if there was nothing left to say. “Phelps is great.”
McGill, the other American in the race, went a 51.42, and has hovered in 51.0 range since U.S. World Trails.
I used to swim. I won an Olympic gold medal in the butterfly. I know: McGill is great.
“He’s understands the situation,” a reporter from a major publication shrugged. “We’re here for Phelps. NBC is only here because of Phelps.”
I nodded, “It’s the Michael Phelps show,” agreeing, but I felt slightly awkward saying it. I felt uneasy.
Inside the tight clique of the swimming community, we’re all incredibly thankful for Phelps. Whether you’re a world class swimmer on the cusp of medal contention, a governing body striving to increase registration, or swimwear manufacturer fighting for market share, you can’t deny the “Phelps Effect”. Mr. Swimming has been a boon for business. Inside the swimming clique we’re giddy. But tension is tempering our hopes for the future. We’re in a race against time to elevate the sport’s visibility beyond our one truly global star.
Phelps plans to compete until the 2012 Olympics.
We can all hear the clock ticking.
While the white-hot spotlight has been on Phelps, a few stars have peeked outside his shadow: Aaron Peirsol, Natalie Coughlin, and Ryan Lochte, to name a few. With 24 Olympic medals between them and London on their schedule, we have the firepower to grow the sport, and, perhaps, make it more mainstream.
We have one other star in the mix, one that has arguably gotten as much media attention as Phelps, though it has become taboo to talk favorable about this “star” during the World Championships: the hi-tech polyurethane swimsuits.
On the eve of World Championships, FINA banned them from competition in 2010.
Of course the hi-tech suits are responsible for the endless world records, and endless media about the records, and endless marketing by the swimwear manufacturers.
Phelps is fine with the ban. “I’m ready to get back to swimming,” he said in ast race press conference. “The sport’s not about swimming anymore.”
Most swimwear manufactures aren’t necessarily on the same page. Quietly, out of the spotlight, they’ve been grumbling. Most want the hi-tech suits and their high price-point that drives revenue.
I’ve heard their grumblings and they worry me. It’s clear swimwear contracts will be cut or significantly reduced for athletes just out of the medal-hunt. Athletes depend on these sponsorship dollars to live and pay for training expenses.
Phelps won’t feel that pain, nor will most major stars within the community, but Tyler McGill will be graduating from college next year, as will David Walters and Ricky Berens, and others like them. They are our new stars, and I worry for these athletes. Will the fallout of the 2010 FINA ban on hi-tech suits result in little or no swimwear endorsement dollars for them?


