Dear Michael:




I'm sure lots of people feel that they were oversaturated with your image even before the Olympics started. I mean, you're everywhere - Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine, the New York times. And oh yeah, the zillion commercials they keep showing.

But I, for one, am not. It's refreshing to see someone out there besides Tiger, besides Le Bron, and besides Derek (I still can't get enough of Lance). But maybe (probably) it's because I'm a swimmer, it makes me cheesily proud to see you, one of my own exalted by the media, admired by your fellow athletes and worshipped by everyone else in the world. So what that you didn't break Spitz's record? Barring some unforseeable incident, you're going to tie the record for most medals in one Olympics, not to mention the world records you've already got. Besides, 2008 is in four years, and you'll only be 23. In all likelihood, you'll keep getting better and continue dominating (and I know you still want it).

And there's something to be said for your chutzpah. I mean, you could've swam the 200 back, an event you stood a better chance of winning, but instead, you chose to challenge yourself by taking own the two fastest swimmers (the gold medalist and the world record holder) in what I believe is the hardest event in swimming. Just because you wanted to swim with the best. Honestly, I don't know of too many 19 year olds who have the initiative to set such lofty goals for themselves, than try to follow them through. I sure didn't, nor did I know anyone who did. Hell, how many NBA stars glorified by the media and Madison Avenue push themselves to excel at a skill outside their specialty? If they did, I know of a certain center whose name I doubt I need to mention that would have a have a higher free throw percentage than field goal percentage. (No excuse. No excuse whatsoever)

But just when I thought you couldn't impress me more, you surprise me again with not yet another gold medal (because at this point, it wouldn't be much of a surprise) but with your sportsmanship. After winning the 100 fly, you gave up a prestigious spot on the medley relay team to Ian Crocker, the rival who broke your world record in that event (and got underneath your skin enough that you placed a picture of him in your room to for motivation) in order that he would have a shot at his only gold, and because you felt he would do a better job. Instead of trying to place an even more definitive stamp of your presence at these games, you chose to step aside, and let someone else have the glory. I think I know how much swimming this relay meant to you, but you knew how much it meant to him, so you placed your trust in him to win for this country.

I've seen your interviews, and you seem attribute most of your success to your mother and your coach. You could teach that old whiner, Gary Hall Jr. a thing or two about how things really work. (And by the way, could you *please* start swimming to 50 free in order to make him shut up?) It takes the right coach to mold a talented athlete to push himself beyond that bounds of what is believed to be possible, and it takes the right parent to teach humility and grace. You're right to credit them - they've both done a fantastic job.

Your class shatters a thousand world records and wins a hundred gold medals in my book, and I don't think I'm the only one who thinks that. For once, I agree with all the hype. You've brought glory and adulation to our sport. I couldn't be more proud.

See you in Beijing,

Connie Wong