Beijing Olympics: Michael Phelps

Is there an American out there who isn't amazed by Michael Phelps?

This guy is the most amazing swimmer I've ever seen. Even in the prelims, he often beats his competitors by body lengths.

Sometimes, though, he saves up his energy for that last 50 meters. I love it when he's in third or fourth and then he takes that last burst of speed and sneaks up on his opponents and swims ahead of them. I also love when they show that little green line on TV that indicates world record pace, and how he swims so far ahead of it. Before the start of each race, have you noticed how Phelps holds both the world and Olympic records for nearly everything he swims?

Finally, check out the armspan on this guy:

Whenever I see pictures like this, it looks as if he's about to take off and fly out of the water. The man has an 80 inch armspan. No wonder he plows through the pool the way he does.

OK, I'm done gushing about Michael Phelps. Can someone find me another Olympian to swoon over?