Going for the Gold August
9, 2004 The Olympics are just four days away, and from Nia Vardalos to the Bush twins to rumors of Brad and Jen, the stars are flocking to Athens to cheer on the Americans. Now meet the five athletes we'll all be pulling for.
Swimming
Michael Phelps is the fastest human
in water, and most believe he could match or surpass
the seven Gold medals that Mark Spitz won. But Phelps
has dreams of even more medals. "Fifty would be
great, but one is what I'm shooting for now," he
tells us.
Softball
A golden lady on land is sexy softball superstar Jennie
Finch. The 6-foot-1-inch California pitcher
will do whatever it takes to dominate the diamond. "You
have to get up and train six to seven hours throughout
the day," the University of Arizona alumna says.
"This is basically our job."
Track and Field
Kansas cannonball Maurice Greene took
double gold in Sydney, and now the three-time, 100-meter
world champion has his focus firmly fixed. "Right
now I'm just focusing on one thing, and that's getting
the gold medal in Athens," he says.
Gymnastics
4-feet-9-inches Olympian Carly Patterson,
from Baton Rouge, proves that great things come in small
packages. 16-year-old Carly may be the standout gymnast
chasing gold but she's thrilled to have just lost some
silver, telling us: "I just got my braces off in
February."
Weight Lifting
Shane Hamman, an Oklahoma native and
Gateway pitchman, is strong enough to carry American
hopes. "I've lifted more weight than any American
in history," he told us.
But a medal in Athens would have the 350-pound, eight-time national weightlifting champ feeling lighter than air. "My eyes are on the Olympics," he tells us. "I see that medal, that's what keeps me going."
There you have it -- five sports, five American stars, all chasing their gold-colored dreams.
|