NEW YORK, May 14 (UPI) -- Marketing expectations are high for U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who already has $1 million in endorsement deals, USA Today reported Friday.
While Phelps isn't yet a household name, the 18-year-old already has three individual world records: the 200-meter butterfly and the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys.
Phelps has an arm span of 6-foot-7, three inches longer than his 6-foot-4 inch frame and weighs 187 pounds.
"He's the obvious guy to rally around," says David Carter, a sports marketing consultant. "There is no one else."
As part of the run-up to the Olympic meet, sponsor Argent Mortgage recently jetted Phelps to the Bahamas to film a yet-to-be-seen commercial in which Phelps races a dolphin.
Since he was 15, Phelps has been under contract with Speedo. He recently renegotiated for what the company insists is the richest swimwear contract ever, although though Speedo won't say how much. But Speedo recently upped the ante on Athens by vowing to hand Phelps an extra $1 million if he matches Mark Spitz's 1972 record.
