Young Crop Of Swimmers Gives The U.S. A Chance To Stock Up On Gold In Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO (CBSNewYork) -- Swimming is one of the first big sports getting underway in Rio.
Everyone knows Michael Phelps has won 22 Olympic medals, but with these games expected to be his last will anyone follow in his footsteps?
As CBS2's Jamie Yuccas reported, the U.S. team is packed with newcomers who could become the pool's next big star.
"It's a great group of kids, and an eager group of kids who are ready to kind of take over after some of us step out of the sport," Phelps said at a press conference in San Antonio last month.
There are 45 swimmers on the U.S. team, but 30 of them are competing in the Olympics for the first time.
Ryan Murphy, 21, holds the American record in the 100m and 200m men's backstroke. He has a good shot at gold in Rio.
"I honestly do not feel like it's set in yet -- that I'm an Olympian, you know, this has been my dream," Murphy said.
Murphy has had his eyes on the prize since childhood. At the age of 7 he wrote a book in library class predicting his appearance at the Olympics.
"When I made the 100 back, I threw my arms up and I looked down. It didn't feel right for me to just take it all in, and that all of these people were cheering for me," Murphy said. "That's still something that I'm getting used to -- the attention and just having that confidence to be able to stand there and be like, 'I'm one of the best.'"
Caeleb Dressel also finds himself in the elite club. The 19-year-old will be competing in the 100m freestyle. He grew up a town over from Murphy in northern Florida, and is considered the best young sprinter in the U.S.
"I remember watching Caeleb at a summer week meet," Murphy said. "I was 6 years old I think, he was 5, and they were like, 'This kid is going to break your records!'"
He didn't just break Murphy's records, at the Olympic trials in 2012 he beat age group records held by Phelps before taking almost 6 months out of the pool.
"I was dealing with some mental demons at the time. I kind of lost track of my love for the sport, so I think I needed that time off. I wouldn't have changed anything," Dressel said. "I don't think I'd be where I'm at right now if it weren't for the time I took off."
Leah Smith, 21, swims the 400 and 800m freestyle on the women's side. She qualified for those races just behind 2012 gold medalist Katie Ledecky.
"I was in a pretty good position to make it, but it doesn't beat, like, touching the wall and seeing the number by your name," Smith said. "And then just, when I touched the wall, Katie looked at me and it was like, 'we're going to Rio!'"
"I was a rookie in 2012 and I feel like it's still just as exciting this time around, and I think a large part of that probably has to do with seeing the excitement from the rookies," Ledecky said.
Women's head coach David Marsh is working to mold the new kids on the block into champions, but does having a team filled with young swimmers change his approach?
"What it does is it allows us to really utilize the veterans on the team to kind of set the tone," Marsh said. "Three billion people are going to be watching this swim meet, you know, and there's going to be a crazy, crowded facility. It's going to be very different than anything they've ever experienced, and what we want to try to do as coaches is make it as simple and calm as possible. It's a swim meet, it happens in the water, and that's what they need to know."
At 19-years-old Lilly King is one of America's best hopes for gold. She currently owns the fastest time in the women's 100m breaststroke.
In spite of her talent she admitted to being a bit star struck at first.
"It's a little weird, to be honest. I was a little bit star-struck at the beginning but I'm starting to pretend that they're like normal people, because they are," King said.
Smith will have the first chance at a medal on Sunday night, when she swims in the 400m freestyle race. She's facing stiff competition from Ledecky who is expected to dominate the pool all through the games.
