By Stephen J. Thomas
ATHENS, Greece, ATHENS, 21 August – AMERICAN veteran of four Olympic Games, Jenny Thompson has the chance to write her name into Olympic history on the final night of competition.
Thompson, with 11 career Olympic medal, can become the most decorated swimmer in Olympic Games history. This will surpass the eleven medals of two other American legends: Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi.
Potentially, the 31-year-old will have two chances to add to her tally of eight gold, two silver (including one in Athens) and one bronze medal. Her first chance will be in the 50 freestyle final and a second, if selected to swim the fly leg, will be in the USA Women’s 400 medley relay team.
Note: The men's 1500 freestyle will be held between the women's 50 free final and the medley relay, leaving enough time for Jenny to recover. This allows her a chance to regain her strength for a second swim. Members of the USA women's relay team is yet to be confirmed at the time that this article was posted.