Sign here, please

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps signs an autograph for Hong Kong swimmer Sandy Chan Wing-suet and her team after sharing a few tips with the squad in Ap Lei Chau yesterday. Michelle Fung Wing-yan and Chan Yu-ning are in close attendance.

Phelps, on his first visit to Hong Kong to promote an electronic product, praised Chinese swimmer Wu Peng as 'one of the up and comers in the 200 metres butterfly'.

'A lot of swimmers have come from this country,' the American said, adding that Wu fared well at the world championships last month, where he collected bronze in the 200 metres butterfly. 'He could possibly [win a] medal in Beijing ... the more international competitions he has, the better he's going to be by 2008.'

When asked about his goal for the 2008 Olympics, Phelps humbly said: 'I've got to make the team first. Once I make the team, hopefully I'll be able to swim a few events and do better than I did in Athens ... It could mean swimming faster times.'

Expressing disappointment at not recording his best performances in Montreal, Phelps said he lacked endurance this year and hoped to improve his start and turns. 'I haven't done as much training as I have in the past few years, I think that's going to change rapidly once I get home,' Phelps said.

He leaves for Beijing tomorrow.