Omaha, Neb.-- --In the universe of hypotheticals, the most popular impossibility buzzing around the pool is this:
Let's say the swimming world had no Michael Phelps. Maybe he was scared of the water as a child or preferred lacrosse as a teen, or maybe he simply didn't exist at all. In any case, if there were no Phelps, would Ryan Lochte be the "Michael Phelps" of these Olympics?
The consensus seems to be yes and, on the surface, that theory might hold water. After all, Lochte keeps finishing just a fingernail behind Phelps, most recently in last night's 200-meter individual medley, in which Phelps set a world record and Lochte touched the wall 0.42 of a second later, surely muttering, "Always a bridesmaid."
But let's set the hypothetical record straight, because there's another swimmer who's being overlooked in the discussion. If there were no Phelps, Katie Hoff would be the Michael Phelps of the coming Summer Games.
The buzz at this week's U.S. Olympics trials emanates from every corner of the pool. Phelps is the unchallenged rock star here. And on the women's side, Dara Torres seems to be a sentimental favorite, especially after the 41-year-old won last night's 100-meter freestyle and qualified for her fifth Olympics.
But the best story - the one that opens eyes, heightens hopes and deserves attention - is Hoff. Put simply, she's doing her best to steal the show here.
The intrigue of these Olympics will undoubtedly surround Phelps and his quest to top Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals. While that's more than fair, it's at least time to start asking whether Hoff can make history of her own.
With a first- or second-place finish in tonight's 800-meter freestyle, Hoff will be eligible to enter six races in Beijing. The women's swimming record for most medals won in a single Games is five, which happened three times: Shirley Babashoff in 1976, Torres in 2000 and Natalie Coughlin in 2004. The most golds is four (Amy Van Dyken in 1996).
The way Hoff is swimming, nothing she does in Beijing should surprise anyone. She's already rewriting the record book. If she can best Kate Ziegler tonight, Hoff will have won five individual races at these trials, which would tie Babashoff's trials record and give her seven total trials wins, which would equal Tracy Caulkins' career mark. Did I mention that Hoff is just a year removed from high school?
