BEIJING: It’s Super Sunday, with 35 gold medals up for grabs at the Beijing Games. Just how super it becomes in Olympic history depends on a guy named Michael Phelps. The female runners will have their marathon and 100 meters and the men their 10,000, and Rafael Nadal will try to add to his French Open and Wimbledon titles when he plays in the tennis gold medal singles final.
But all eyes will be on Phelps, the American swimmer who has become the all-consuming interest of the games.
Phelps will attempt to break the 36-year-old record of seven gold medals won by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Munich Olympics. To do that, the 23-year-old Phelps and his three teammates will need to win gold in the 4x100 medley relay today — Phelps will swim the butterfly leg — on the final day of swimming at the Water Cube.
Phelps, like 1.3 billion people in China, will have eight as his favorite number if the Americans can win today. But he’s taking nothing for granted.
“It’s not over yet,” Phelps said after winning No. 7 in yesterday’s fingertip finish over Milorad Cavic in the 100 butterfly. “I really think the Australian team looks great for the relay. It’s going to be a race.” Elsewhere in the pool, and overshadowing what would normally be an anticipated event in its own right, is Grant Hackett’s attempt to win the 1,500 freestyle for the third straight Olympics. The Australian goes into swim’s version of the marathon as the fastest qualifier.
The women’s 50 freestyle and 4x100 medley relay close out the swim program. In the nearby deep pool, Guo Jingjing will try to keep alive China’s attempt at a sweep of the eight golds in diving when she goes into the 3-meter springboard final as leading qualifier. Catherine Ndereba, known as “Catherine the Great” in her native Kenya, and who won silver at Athens four years ago, is the favorite for the marathon. She has won gold-silver-gold at the last three World Championships. Kerron Stewart of Jamaica and American sprinters Lauryn Williams and Torri Edwards are among the favorites in the women’s 100 at the Bird’s Nest, while the Ethiopian pair of Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie should duel for the men’s 10,000 title.
The 3,000 steeplechase, men’s hammer throw and women’s triple jump close out today’s athletics program.
Nadal will go for singles gold against Fernando Gonzalez of Chile. And he’s excited at the prospect of adding an Olympic gold medal to his already stellar 2008.
“When I arrived here, I didn’t expect for sure to be in this final. I arrived very tired,” Nadal said. “I’m very happy to have this experience in my life.” Serena and Venus Williams are in today’s women’s doubles final, and a win would give them their second Olympic gold together after Sydney in 2000. Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva will play in an all-Russian women’s singles final, with Safina looking to win her 16th match in a row.
Gymnastics continues with individual apparatus gold — the men’s floor exercise and pommel horse and women’s vault and floor — while sailing’s 49er class will be decided.
Rowing will have seven medals Sunday, track cycling has the women’s individual pursuit and there are also finals in shooting, fencing, badminton, wrestling, weightlifting and table tennis.
