Vital stats
Age: 19 Height/weight: 6-4, 195
Lives in: Baltimore
Today’s event
It’s the gold medal finals in the men’s 100-meter butterfly on NBC between 7 and 11 p.m.
Day job
He went pro and signed a six-figure deal with Speedo out of high school, but plans to enroll at the University of Michigan after the Olympics.
Olympic experience
He competed in the 2000 Olympics.
Background
His mother is a schoolteacher and his father is a Maryland state trooper. At the ’04 U.S. Trials, he qualified for six individual events (100-meter butterfly and 200-meter freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and IM, and the 400 IM). He dropped the backstroke, but comparisons are still made to Mark Spitz, who won seven gold medals in ’72.
Early days
He started swimming at 7 and has two older sisters who also were swimmers.
Did you know?
Before a race, he listens DMX’s “Party Up.”
Post-Olympic star potential
He’s a young attractive male swimmer who is responsible for most of the pre-Games buzz. Star power: 10 out of 10, if things break right.
In the booth Men’s swimming TV broadcasters
Dan Hicks: Anchor of NBC’s Golf Tour, he hosts a total of 17 events, including the U.S. Open.
Rowdy Gaines: The former Olympian is the chief fundraising and alumni officer at USA Swimming.
2000 medalists
Men’s 50 freestyle
Gold: Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall Jr., U.S.
Silver: None
Bronze: Pieter van den Hoogenband, Netherlands
