ATHENS, Greece — Michael Phelps is going for the gold — eight of 'em, it appears, in his first Olympics. Jenny Thompson already owns that many, across three Olympics, along with a silver and a bronze.
The alpha and omega of the U.S. swim team are the main attractions today on the first full day of competition in Greece — Phelps at the beginning of his career, and Thompson at the end. But there's action at venues across Athens in 19 other sports, from badminton to basketball to boxing.
And much of it will air — although not much of it live — on NBC and its five cable affiliates, which plan to pump out 41 1/2 hours of coverage altogether on the day after the Athens opening ceremony.
The men's gymnastics team, led by reigning world all-around champion Paul Hamm, Brett McClure and Blaine Wilson, will share NBC's prime time today with the swimmers. The U.S. squad competes in the Olympic team qualifications, and it's expected to challenge China and Japan for the gold — a medal the Americans last captured 20 years ago in Los Angeles.
But the main focus will be on the four races at the pool, where Phelps begins his pursuit of Mark Spitz's gold standard of seven medals in a single Olympics.
Phelps is 19, listens to rapper DMX before he swims and started swimming when he was 7. Thompson, 31, hopes to finish medical school and won her first Olympic medal when Phelps was 7.
Phelps is an overwhelming favorite to collect gold No. 1 in the 400 individual medley, where he owns the world record. For Thompson, her first shot at medal No. 11 will come in the 400-meter freestyle relay on Saturday.
Her accomplishments are Phelps' aspirations. Thompson, who owns more medals than any other female American Olympian, enters her fourth Olympics with a chance at equaling several records. A gold, silver or bronze will tie her with Spitz and Matt Biondi for the most career medals for an American; a ninth gold would put her with four other athletes for the most career Olympic victories.
For pool prodigy Phelps, he's stalking Spitz's mark as the world (and NBC) watch closely — expect his efforts to remain a prime-time fixture for as long as it runs, and the swimming continues for another week. Following today's race, he's likely to swim in another four individual events, plus his relays.
This will be America's first chance to check out the much-hyped Greek swimming venue, where the open-air pool will make sunscreen a hot commodity. Athens organizers backed off on a pledge to install a roof, so Olympic swimming will be staged in an uncovered area for the first time since blistering Barcelona in 1992.
The heat is less of a problem at night, when the finals are scheduled and a welcome breeze can appear. During the day, when temperatures routinely climb into the 90s, swimmers can duck beneath tents while awaiting the preliminaries and semifinals.
"I don't think not having a roof will be any issue at all," said backstroker Lenny Krayzelburg, a triple gold medalist indoors at Sydney. "Last night, there was a little breeze. It was perfect weather to swim in the Olympic Games."
Elsewhere today, medals were expected in cycling, diving, fencing, judo, shooting and weightlifting as many of NBC's 103 commentators hit the airwaves from Athens for the first time. The cycling, along with the men's synchronized platform diving, will get some prime-time exposure on NBC.
Network coverage begins at noon and runs until 2 a.m. EDT, with a two-hour dinnertime break from 6-8 p.m. and a half-hour off at midnight. The afternoon session will include the live gold-medal finals for the women's synchronized springboard, along with men's gymnastics, volleyball and women's beach volleyball.
Early-risers and late-nighters will both a chance to check out live events, which remain scarce on the network schedule. The U.S. women's basketball team, looking for a third straight gold medal, team takes on New Zealand in its first game this morning on CNBC.
And early Sunday, on the same network, there will be live men's basketball — although not the latest incarnation of the U.S. squad — along with rowing, soccer and beach volleyball.
Olympics today
ATHENS, Greece — Let the games resume. The big happenings at the 2004 Summer Games today:
SWIMMING: U.S. swimmers Michael Phelps and Jenny Thompson chase history. Phelps begins his quest to exceed Mark Spitz's mark of seven gold medals in a single Summer Games, while Thompson seeks the 11th medal of her storied career.
GYMNASTICS: The U.S. men's gymnastics team makes its Athens debut, led by reigning world all-around champion Paul Hamm. The men's team hasn't won a team medal since 1984.
MEDALS GALORE: Look for the Games' first medals in cycling, diving, fencing, judo, shooting, swimming and weightlifting.
PRIME TIME: NBC will air the swimming and gymnastics, along with a bit of cycling and men's synchronized platform diving.