Michael Phelps is so focused on his own performance in his drive for eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing, he was unaware former champion Pieter van den Hoogenband had pulled out of the 200 metres freestyle.
The Dutchman, who won gold in the event at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and silver ahead of bronze-medallist Phelps in 2004, pulled out of the race on Tuesday to focus on the 100 freestyle, the event he has won at each of the last two Olympiads.
Van den Hoogenband was seen as one of the swimmers capable of denying the 23-year-old the opportunity of breaking Mark Spitz's record haul of seven goal medals at the Munich Games in 1972, but Phelps was oblivious to the withdrawal.
'I had no idea,' he said. 'I didn't know he wasn't doing it. It's news to me. It's not easy by any means. He's a fun competitor to race against. I've raced against him a few times. Four years ago, I raced against him in Athens and then last year as well.
'It's disappointing, a little bit, but he has his focus and I have mine. He's not the only person competing in that race and the rest of the field is a pretty strong field.'
The prospect of Phelps eclipsing Spitz's hallowed achievement has dominated the build-up to the Games, but the Baltimore native stressed the media is more fixated than he is with his record attempt.
'I'm just going through doing what I have to do, preparing myself as best as I can so I can swim as fast as I can,' said Phelps.
'That's my goal and that's what I'm going to stick with. I haven't said anything about breaking any record or going after any record. I just want to go out there and try something that I want to do, a goal of mine.
'My goals haven't been published. Bob (Bowman, Phelps' coach) and I are the only ones who know them and we're going to work through this next week and a half and try to complete them all.'
