The golden girls: Summer Sanders, co-host of Inside The NBA, goes one-on-one with the most decorated female Olympian in the U.S., her friend and former teammate, swimmer Jenny Thompson

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Sept, 2004 by Summer Sanders

a dozen years ago they were teammates, swimming their way to the NCAA championship for Stanford and bringing home Olympic gold (and silver and bronze) from Barcelona. With her four medals (two of them gold), Summer Sanders left the pool--but not the fast lane--and went on to become a television broadcaster. Jenny Thompson kept on competing through three more Olympics, racking up 10 medals (8 of them gold) to become the most decorated female Olympian this country has produced. Now she's taken a semester off from Columbia Medical School to train for her fifth Olympics (at press time the US Swimming Olympic Trials were about to begin). At the behest of HERS, Sanders caught up with her pal and Manhattan neighbor to talk about training, competing and life after swimming.

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SUMMER SANDERS: How do you feel right now--physically and emotionally--compared to when you first made the national team in 1987?

JENNY THOMPSON: Then I was just 14, a little kid. You feel no pain when you're a kid. You don't really notice your physical self. I was very naive and happy-go-lucky. Now I'm more than twice that age. The natural growing-up process has happened, and I feel the aches a lot more. But overall, I feel good; I feel strong both physically and mentally. I have so much more experience now, and I feel like I have my arms around everything that's going on. I know what to expect in every situation because I've been through it.

SS: Your body looks just as good or better than it did at the height of your career.

JT: In my early 20s, there was still some baby fat hanging around. Living in New York [since 2000], I've actually lost a bit of weight, probably because of the increase in walking. Most of it, though, is probably genetics. I had muscles when I was 4 years old, and I definitely wasn't lifting weights back then. I try to eat well and I work out a fair bit. But I know other people who work out just as much, eat just as well and still have weight problems. So I do think it's genetic.

SS: When we were swimming together, the training was grueling. How does it compare to your current regimen?

JT: I actually work out less than I used to. Going into, say, the 2000 Games, I was swimming and cross-training five hours a day. Now, it's like three hours, some days less.

SS: How has your diet changed?

JT: Back in college, I used to just stuff my face. Even though the Stanford team was associated with the Zone Diet, I ate a lot of carbs. Training so much, and swimming so much, really stimulates your appetite. I always felt like I wanted to eat the entire cafeteria.

SS: A lot of people don't know this, but because you're just so hungry all the time, it's very difficult to lose weight when you're swimming. What's your diet like now?

JT: I'm more conscious of eating only when I'm hungry. I also realize the difference between being thirsty and being hungry. But eating slower is probably the biggest change. It makes a difference.

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SS: Another thing that will be a big change in these Olympics will be the security. Do security concerns make you more anxious or nervous about participating in the Games in Athens?

JT: In Barcelona, I don't remember security being a factor. I remember in Atlanta, there was more caution, and then especially after the bombing. I can't even imagine how it's going to be in Athens.

SS: Do you have any secrets about the longevity of your swimming career?

JT: I've been really lucky. I never had coaches who burned me out. They kept things fresh. My current coach, John Collins, is laid-back. I feel like everything is in my control, and that makes training easy to do. I still really enjoy it.

SS: How did you manage when you were juggling Olympic training with a full load in medical school?

JT: It was really challenging, but with good organization, it was doable. I just didn't have time to watch television.

SS: Which is good, since you don't have a television set. By the way, if you weren't a swimmer, could you have excelled at another sport?

JT: I like to say that I could've been a good tennis player.

SS: Any similarities?

JT: Strength. The body types are not that different. You need strong legs and a strong midsection. I like the one-on-one competition in tennis. It's not quite that dramatic in swimming.

SS: What are your thoughts about retirement? Anything you're looking forward to?

JT: This is going to be my last Olympics. October [the FINA World Championships in Indianapolis] will be my last meet. I still love the sport, but I'm looking forward to delving into my medical career, and moving on to the next phase in my life. I'd like to keep swimming a part of my life, whether it's interacting with the USOC or just jumping in the pool. One activity that I really enjoy now is yoga. That's something I'd like to do forever.

SS: Going for any more records?

JT: The 100 freestyle record is attainable. If I swim well, I could achieve that. I have a 54 flat, and the world record is 53:77.

SS: If Speedo were to pay you a million dollars, would you come back in 2008?