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I have the opportunity to be part of swimming history. To take the sport to a new level would be an honor for me. There’s no better time to try this than now.
I have reached a place in my life where I need to sit down and say, ‘Well, what do I do? What’s best for me?’ I need to look into options for the future.
I think to be – for me to be an American is – you know, it’s one of the greatest things in the world for – you know, for me just because I’ve been able to grow up with everything. The freedom. You know, in my eyes this is the greatest country in the world.
It’s cool just because I’ve had this dream of changing the sport of swimming and it’s finally happening.
I want to be able to look back and say, ‘I’ve done everything I can, and I was successful.’ I don’t want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I’d like to change things for the younger generation of swimmers coming along.
I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do. And I want to change the world of swimming.
If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren’t willing to do.
This is my 20th year in the sport. I’ve known swimming and that’s it. I don’t want to swim past age 30 if I continue after this Olympics, and come back in 2016, I’ll be 31. I’m looking forward to being able to see the other side of the fence.