BEIJING — When Michael Phelps is setting up for Olympic history, Dara Torres is making 41 the new 21 and fancy swimsuits are helping reset world records almost daily, it is easy to see how a handful of notable U.S. swimming feats might slip by unnoticed these days.
Such was the case at last month's Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. It was there that Peter Vanderkaay, Alex Vanderkaay, Christian Van- derkaay and Dane Vander- kaay made the Qwest Center their family pool for a week.
The four brothers from Michi- gan all competed in the tri- als. Only Peter made the Olympic team, but having Peter and his brothers all swim- ming at that level was con- sidered quite the accom- plishment for the family.
"That's probably the most incredible part, that all of us kind of stuck with it," Peter said. "That doesn't happen a lot."
Perhaps more incredible to the brothers is that Peter developed into the elite swimmer of the group.
"He was actually not very good when he was little," Alex said. "His freshman year of high school, he barely made the high school state meet. I think if you would've asked any of us, we probably would've guessed he was the least likely to make it to the Olympics."
One healthy growth spurt and a decorated college career later, Peter is a mem- ber of a team that is threat- ening to rival the 1976 team as the best collection of U.S. Olympic men's swimmers.
The 1976 team claimed 12 of a possible 13 gold medals in Montreal. There are a few more events now, and a much more talented group of international competitors, but the 2008 U.S. swimmers could equal or break the 12- gold record.
If this team is going to truly rival the greatness of the 1976 team, though, it will be the less recognizable names, such as Peter Vanderkaay, that will put it over the top. 'SOMETHING TO PROVE'
Just like he and his broth- ers did during the trials, however, Vanderkaay would prefer to remain under the world radar for a bit longer.
"He's a real modest guy, kind of a quiet guy," said Alex, who is in Beijing to watch his older brother race. ''It might even benefit him because he feels like the guy in the shadow, the guy that has something to prove. He doesn't like to brag about himself at all."
It would be easy to brag, however. Peter is racing in three freestyle events in these Games, as well as the 800 freestyle relay. He just missed a medal Sunday, finishing fourth in the 400 free. He'll also swim the 200 and 1,500.
He already has one gold medal under his belt as a member of the 800 relay at the 2004 Games. But he is carrying a heftier individual load in these Games.
The United States is a sig- nificant gold-medal favorite in nine of the 16 men's races, with veteran Olympic cham- pions such as Phelps and Aaron Peirsol most respon- sible for it.
But if the lesser-known Americans, such as Vander- kaay, fellow freestylers Gar- rett Weber-Gale and Ben Wildman-Tobriner and breaststrokers Scott Spann and Eric Shanteau, can con- tribute to the medal count, it would be the difference between just another great U.S. team and possibly the great- est.
Vanderkaay surprised even himself when he won the 1,500 meters at the trials, swimming the race in the best time of 2008. It made him an immediate gold- medal contender in Beijing, rivaling Australian Grant Hackett.
Weber-Gale and Wild- man-Tobriner, meanwhile, dethroned Gary Hall Jr. and will represent the U.S. in the 50 free, a race in which the U.S. has never failed to score at least a silver medal. Weber-Gale also is a candidate for a medal in the 100 free.
BEYOND PHELPS
It creates plenty of oppor- tunities for the no-name group (or is that the long- named group?) to put this American team over the top.
"Pretty much everyone on the team has a chance to medal at something," Peter Vanderkaay said.
"We definitely have a chance to be the best. But it's all talk until you go out and do it."
Actually, most of the talk has been reserved for Phelps' quest for a record eight gold medals. The "best team ever" rumbling has been more like background noise.
It is a position Vander- kaay — and every other U.S. swimmer in the Phelps era, for that matter — has become used to.
"I think it's great for the sport to have someone like him who's creating all this hype and really getting the sport out there," Vanderkaay said.
"Swimming's not very mainstream. People get into it every four years, but other than that we don't get very much attention. I think he deserves all the publicity he gets because what he does is so incredible. I don't feel bit- ter or anything like that because I feel he deserves it."