US Gold in the Medley Relay is a given, right ?

Edge: US I see the legs a little different: US gets that .5 to .6 lead after the Backstroke -- Peirsol is money in these relays. Breaststroke - don't see any benefit from clean water in this leg, not if you are only behind .5 sec. I do see the benefit in the breaststroke of going in a little behind. If you are in front, you don't see anything, you just go and hope for the best. If you are a little behind on the second 50, you sense the swimmer in front of you on every stroke. + I don't think Hansen has ever delivered a flat start minus 0.7 time in this relay. I think they will be very close to even after this. Fly - for a full second you would have to put Phelps at 50.2 flat start -- anything is possible - it is Phelps. I think he will be rather careful on the exchange - I am giving him 0.5 sec. Free - My guess is that Lezak will just play it very cool and he won't panick when Sullivan catches him at the 50. Please do not quote Rowdy on anything -- 90% of his takes are total bogus. So - still a small edge to the US. By the way - if Crocker wins the 100 Fly, he will swim that relay final. He would be faster and more experienced and they don't have the luxury to give spots to each other in a tight race.

How about the Ladies ? Can the US take down the Aussie girls - - Coughlin will give them a lead, question is how much - a few tenth or a full second ? - then it's Soni, who must just be swimming on pure adrenalin - against Jones. The Aussies should be taking the lead back. - Schipper against Magnusen - and they are even after the Fly with Libby Trickett against Dara Torres. My money is on Torres in that one ...

How about the Ladies ? hoch: I think the US women can beat the Aussie women Coughlin vs Seebohm Emily hasn't produced the same times as she did at their trials and Natalie is now sub 59 Soni vs Jones Rebecca looks good yet over 2 lengths Liesel could challenge Magnuson vs Schipper Christine was closing on Jessica in the 100 fly final looks even to me Torres vs Trickett with Dara having a 52.44 relay split under her belt I think she has the edge I think Natalie's back leg is the difference US by .50+ Actually each really could go down to the touch--what a treat for fans

this is a fairly plausible situation: ian goes 50.4 to win the fly over michael's 50.9. in this case, the relay is so close that you have to go with ian for fly. i'm pretty sure the coaches would go by flat start times for the free selection, and therefore michael would anchor.

YES I'm sure he'd return Phelps favor from 2004 crocker will have to swim out of his mind to beat phelps IF Crocker beats Phelps in the 100 Fly will he give up his spot on the finals relay like Phelps did in 2004?

IF Crocker beats Phelps in the 100 Fly will he give up his spot on the finals relay like Phelps did in 2004?

Sullivan anchoring should make us all nervous. Lezak will have a lead but Sullivan can draft off the big guy just like Lezak did Bernard. Regardless of the outcome of the mens 50, Sullivan will be hungry for 100 free redemption. Hansen better figure out a way to find his pop.

this brought up a rather interesting question to me. For the sake of this hypothetical, let's completely ignore the issues of taste and plausibility. Of course crocker would never do this. HOWEVER, Let's say crocker and phelps go 1-2 in the 100fly. phelps with a 50.45 and crocker goes 50.42. So now it is crocker's right to swim finals. However, he did not swim a time that is much faster than phelps' time, so they can be assumed essentially interchangeable in terms of their impact on the outcome of the medley relay. let's also ignore the possibility of phelps swimming the 100fr in the relay. In this case, crocker would have denied phelps the opportunity to break spitz's record. He would also now have the power to allow phelps to tie it, and reap the benefits of 7 gold medals. or he could say "well i swam the fastest 100fly, and it will be a close race, my country needs me to have the best chance of winning the final". he really doesn't have any reasons to give his spot to phelps other than those of a platonic nature. but phelps has a LOT of $$$ reasons to tie spitz. how much would phelps be willing to pay crocker to give him the spot on the relay, if crocker chose to set up his retirement this olympics? Remember, if phelps gets 7, he gets 1 million from speedo. i'm sure he's bathing in endorsement money as it is, but one can only assume that equalling spitz record will result in further fame and fortune. of course it would be terrible for crocker to do, but my main question is, what is the monetary value of the power crocker holds over phelps? In my estimation, crocker could easily ask for upwards of $1 million for his spot on the relay. not that this would ever happen, in fact i predict a 1/phelps 2/crocker 3/cavic final in the fly. an interesting question though, no?

That is a good question, but I would agree with Ande, Crocker will have to swim out of his mind to beat Phelps. Phelps went 50. in both prelims and semis after having other swims before that. Crocker went 51. in both his races and he has been sitting all week. So if Crocker does pull a win out of his :mooning:, I still think Phelps is the best man for the relay because he would be more rested than he has been. If Phelps needs to give any monies to any one for getting 8 golds, I think he should share with Lezak for pulling off the 4x100 relay win. I predict Phelps goes 50.1 tonight.

Here is the main issue.....Phelps can swim semis and Crocker finals....Phelps gets a Gold - Crocker swims semis and Phelps finals....Phelps gets Gold. Why worry about it at all....he gets one either way!