Maese, et al.,

SUBJECT: Phelps news conference transcript

MICHAEL, DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED THE FINAL METERS OF THE RACE. DID YOU THINK CHOPPING THE WALL COST YOU THE RACE? 

I actually did. I knew I wasn't as far behind as I was in prelims. I saw Crocker and figured they were at about the same speed. When I did chop the last stoke, I really thought that cost me the race, but it happened to be the direct opposite. If I would have glided, I would have ended up being way too long. I ended up making the right decision, and I was trying to take a short fast stroke, trying to get my hand on the wall first. It turned out to be in my favor.

WHEN REPLAYS WENT UP, IT LOOKED TO THE NAKED EYE LIKE YOU HAD NOT DONE ENOUGH:

I saw the race actually afterward. I saw the finish on big screen after race. I saw it slowed down frame by frame back in the massage area, looking at the computer. It's almost too close to see. It’s sort of like last time (in Athens) I felt four one-hundredths was close, I was completely shocked. It’s possible I’m even more shocked now than I was then. One-one hundredth is the smallest margin in our sport. It was pretty cool. I guess that’s all I can say. (Laughing)

YOU’VE NOW EQUALED MARK SPITZ WITH SEVEN GOLDS. HOW DOES THAT FINALLY FEEL TO ACHIEVE THAT? 

I think it really shows that no matter what you set your imagination to, anything can happen. If you dream as big as you can dream, anything is possible. I saw so many quotes saying it's impossible to duplicate it, it won't happen. It just shows you that anything can happen. I never really -- I guess before I got to Bob – he’s the one who really helped me really dream about anything. Yes I wanted to become an Olympic gold medalist, yes I wanted to become a world record holder, a professional athletes. Until I really got with him, he was the one who really said, ‘Dream big. Dream as big as you can.’ It finally happened. I’ve been able to have a lot of hard work and Bob and I have gone through a lot together. It's all paid off.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE MEDLEY RELAY?

Tomorrow is definitely not going to be an easy race. Australia has a very good relay. We’re going to do like we did the last two relays. It’s all about being a team. We’re going to go out there as a team and swim as a team. We’ll be able to swim as a team. That’s not a problem. Hopefully we’re able to put four amazing splits together and see what happens.

MOST PEOPLE WATCHING THE RACE DIDN’T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THAT FRAME-BY-FRAME SLOWDOWN. CAVIC SAID HE THINKS YEARS FROM NOW PEOPLE WILL SAY HE WON THE RACE. WILL THERE EVER BE ANY QUESTION IN YOUR MIND? AN ASTERISK?

The timing system says it all. There hasn’t really been an error in the timing system that I remember. I have no idea. The only thing I can say is I raced as hard as I could and I swam my best. The scoreboard said I got my hand on the wall first.

CAVIC SAID IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE SPORT IF YOU LOST. BOB TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING. WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

When people say things like that, it fires me up more than anything. Just like 400 free relay going into that we were excited because the French swimmers had said a few remarks that got us a little excited. We use things like that and comments like that to fuel us. To get us more excited. I think that's what American swimmers do. We rise to the occasion.

When Bob told me that, actually this morning, I said, OK. We'll let our swimming do the talking. That’s how I’ve always done it. I always welcome comments. If anyone wants to say anything, I like it. It definitely motivates me even more.

DID YOU THINK YOU WERE OUT FAST ENOUGH? YOU TURNED IN 7TH.

I knew I had to be within half a body length. Racing against Crocker, racing against someone who has front-half speed, I race against him all the time, I’m sort of able to judge where I'm able to be at the 50 (meter mark) to make up. I figured if I was about a half a body length behind, I would be fine. When I turned I saw Crocker how far ahead he was of me, I kind of figured him and Cavic were out at the same speed. I could kind of see him out of the side of my eye, but that’s about it. I had no idea where he was.

WERE YOU AWARE THE SERBS PROTESTED THE FINISH?

I had no idea there was a protest. Beats me. Nothing to say to that. That’s the first word that I've heard of it.

WHAT WILL BE YOUR NEXT DREAM?

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: My big goal is to change the sport of swimming in a way. For the kids coming up in the sport and also for of the sport in America. I actually just got a picture my friend sent me, SportsCenter live, they aired the race. Somebody else told me they had it on jumbotron live in the middle of a baseball game. So my goal is starting to happen, but there is still a long way to go with that. I'm sure Bob and I can think of something in the next four years.

SPEAKING OF GOALS, WHEN WILL YOU START TO THINK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL WINDFALL YOU ARE ABOUT TO REAP FROM ALL THIS? 

I'm not doing it for the money. I'm doing it because I love what I do. This is something I dreamed of as soon as I started swimming -- winning an Olympic gold medal. In Athens I was able to do that. I was able to surpass my goals.

If Bob and I were in it for the money, I think we' be in different sports. It’s definitely not about money. I'm having fun at what I do and I do this because I love it. That’s really the only thing I can say. I enjoy it, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Every day it seems like I'm in sort of a dream world. Sometimes you sort of have to pinch yourself to see if it's really real. I'm just happy I'm in the real world, I guess.

(Getty Images)