A fish called Amanda

What is it like as an athlete to experience the last few weeks leading up to an event that’s taken four years’ preparation? American swimmer Amanda Beard on dirty laundry, platinum medals and Aaron Piersol’s mustache.

As I fill out this questionnaire, the countdown to the Olympic Games is numbered at:

Too many.

When I think of the Olympics the first thing that comes to mind is …

… Panda Bears eating bamboo.

To me the Olympic Games mean …

… a chance for the people of the world to let go of differences and just have good ol’ fashion fun competing against one another.

My official Olympic goal is ...

… gold.

In secret, though, I’m dreaming of …

… platinum and diamonds.

To motivate myself for Olympic training I imagine how I ...

… am going to be on a lounge chair someplace tropical not long after Beijing.

A typical training day for me at the moment encompasses …

… swimming, dry-land work-out and more swimming, which usually takes up the whole day. And then at night I dream about doing 10 kilometers or so just to keep my mind in shape.

Today I’ve already done ...

… my dirty laundry and a lap or two in the pool.

In contrast to normal competitions, in Beijing I’m going to …

… have as much fun as possible and enjoy the experience.

What’s going to bring me extra good luck is …

… Leisel Jones, she’s an amazing competitor and I usually swim well when she’s in the pool with me.

Apart from my own contests in Beijing, I’m mainly interested in ...

… being a tourist.

The athlete I’d most like to meet up with in the Olympic village is ...

… Aaron Piersol, my boyfriend loves him and he can grow a really thick mustache.

If I weren’t taking part in the Games in 2008 but in the ancient Olympic Games of 2500 years ago, I would probably compete in …