He captivated a nation with magical eight - now he intends to get it hooked
Michael Phelps will take a well-earned vacation after becoming the greatest Olympian of all time - and then he'll get back to changing the face of swimming.
Yesterday's dream eighth gold-medal record win was merely a work in progress, said the 23-year-old from Baltimore.
'From here it is a continuation, with my goal of raising the sport of swimming as high as I can in the US,' he said after his performance. '70,000 fans will be watching the relay on the big screen at the Ravens (the NFL team based in his hometown) game tonight, and it has been shown at sports events across the country.
'I have heard people say it's crazy, they are out to dinner and swimming is on the television. For me, it's still a work in progress,' he added.
If you believe the statistics, his next mission will be accomplished easily. His Olympic aim was to achieve swimming supremacy with an historic eighth gold medal that would sweep aside Mark Spitz's 36-year-old, seven-golds record.