Of all the venues for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the National Aquatics Center in Beijing appears likely to deliver the most compelling drama.

For that, thank the U.S. swimming team, which heads to China loaded with talent and equipped with three intriguing story lines that should make for must-see TV during a nine-day run that begins Saturday.

Michael Phelps seeks eight gold medals, one more than Mark Spitz won in 1972 in Munich. Dara Torres swims for middle-aged moms everywhere, and to prove she's clean. And Eric Shanteau goes for an Olympic medal while trying to keep his cancer from spreading.

And into the pool:

Phelps makes push toward history

Phelps' eight-medal haul – six golds and two bronzes – from the 2004 Athens Olympics was the most by any athlete at a non-boycotted Games. But the encore could be better.

The 23-year-old from Baltimore stands on the verge of breaking Spitz's record of seven golds in one Olympics, his Athens experience enhancing his chances of making history.

"One of the things I did in Athens, every race I pretty much went for it during the semifinals," Phelps said. "I wasn't controlling myself.

"This time around, I've been able to manage my energy, manage my time better."

Phelps, who won seven gold medals at the 2007 World Swimming Championships, is expected to compete in five individual events – the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, the 200 freestyle and the 100 and 200 butterfly – and three relays in Beijing.

His coaches certainly won't be surprised if Phelps touches the wall first often enough to equal greatness. They say if anything gets to Phelps, it won't be the magnitude of the moment.

"If they gave black belts for handling pressure, he's about a sixth-degree black belt," U.S. men's coach Eddie Reese said at a recent news conference. "He's been in pressure situations so much, he's been desensitized to a point.

"He is a genius at handling every type of situation, and I love to listen to him talk about it afterwards. He's just matter-of-fact about the whole thing."

Said U.S. national team head coach Mark Schubert: "He really does a wonderful job at taking one day at a time and attacking whatever's in front of him for that day."

For all of his fame and success, Phelps comes across as low-key and down-to-earth. Ask him about him becoming the face of U.S. swimming through his various commercials, and he sounds amazed by his celebrity status.

"I'm still not used to sitting there watching ESPN and watching my PowerBar commercial run," he said. "I'm sitting at the counter, and I hear my voice. It's funny."

If he wins eight gold medals, expect more commercials. And a new superstar for America to embrace.

Torres gracefully navigates obstacles

Torres loves her role as inspiration for middle-aged mothers. It's the ongoing struggle to convince people she's not using performance-enhancing drugs that gets her down. That, and her personal coach's battle for his life.

Torres heads to Beijing without the exhilaration one might expect from a 41-year-old mom heading to the Olympics for a fifth time.

Her ability to come back from two lengthy retirements – 1992-99 and 2000-06 – and record personal bests in the 50 freestyle (24.25 seconds) and the 100 freestyle (53.76) at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials last month has raised suspicions about whether she's doing it legally.

Torres insists she is, noting she has volunteered for a new United States Anti-Doping Agency program that collects blood and urine samples from Olympic-caliber athletes every few weeks.

She does take a USADA-approved asthma medication – "It allows me to have the same breathing capacity as my competitors," she said – and an amino-acid supplement made in Germany by someone her coach knows well.

Torres said her improvement can be traced to weight training and resistance stretching, not to mention a frame that's 12 pounds lighter than in 2000, when she won two gold and three bronze medals at the Olympics.

Call The Bee's John Schumacher, (916) 326-5523.