Locals woke up before daybreak on July 12 to witness an event that hadn’t occurred in Knoxville since 1996.
    
Arriving as early as 4 a.m., spectators, including many Tennessee students, waited in the rain outside the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center to watch the U.S. Olympic swim team train for the upcoming London Olympics. The team arrived in Knoxville on July 8 and practiced on campus until leaving for France on July 14. The U.S. squad previously trained in Knoxville before the Atlanta Summer Games 16 years ago.
    
The day was the only opportunity for the public to watch the team before the Games. The first 1,200 people in line were able to watch inside the aquatic center from 8-9 a.m., while the outdoor pool was open from 8-10 a.m. to those who couldn't get a seat inside.
    
For Kristy Myers, a junior in microbiology, not even the inclement weather of that July morning could dampen here experience.
    
“When I heard that the Olympic team would be coming to Knoxville, I thought it was crazy that they would come here of all cities in America,” Myers said. “I mean, Knoxville is awesome. I was just excited I might have the chance to run into (Michael) Phelps or (Ryan) Lochte at Walgreens.”
    
Though Myers was disappointed in her hopes for a chance meeting with an Olympian, she managed to console herself with the knowledge she had witnessed something few people see in person.
    
“Seeing them at the open practice was a little anticlimactic because I wanted them to be more crowd interactive,” Myers said. “But it was still exciting that we got to see something that most Americans don’t get the chance to see.”
    
With the Olympics looming, swimmers like Phelps and Lochte prepared to represent the U.S. and looking for more gold medals. Phelps said his focus was on the end achievement and nothing more.
    
“For me right now, the only thing I’m worried about is myself and preparing myself to go out and represent my country and step up wearing the stars and stripes and try to swim as fast as I can,” he said.
    
And swim fast he did. Phelps, who before the Olympics already held the all-time record for most gold medals with 14, walked away from London with four more gold medals and two silver ones as well. For his career, Phelps leaves the lanes with another all-time record of 22 career Olympic medals.
    
Regardless of Phelps’ pedigree, he and the other swimmers couldn’t help but notice the energy the fans brought to the pool. Phelps said that while the facilities at UT are amazing, he was impressed with the amount of encouragement the fans brought to the equation when they were in Knoxville.
    
“We haven’t had a crowd like this or a day like this in the last three Olympics for me so it's definitely pretty cool to come out and hear these guys cheering us on,” Phelps said.
    
Lochte was unable to resist a little shout-out to the fans during the open practice, as he grabbed a micrphone from Knoxville native and Webb School graduate Davis Tarwater. Lochte later said that though he’d participated in two previous Olympics, this was the first time where he’d had such a huge crowd watching practice.
    
Though competing with some of the best swimmers in the world, Lochte didn’t appear overly concerned. His rivalry with Phelps only spurred him on.
    
“What makes sports is great rivalries. What me and Michael have created in the past eight years has been tremendous for this sport,” Lochte said. “It’s just making the sports bigger and that’s what we really want to do. At the end of the day, we want to make the sports of swimming what it was eight years ago. Going into this Olympics, I think this is gonna be the biggest rivalry since (Michael) Jordan and Magic (Johnson in the NBA). It’s huge and I’m just happy to be on the same team as him. We’re definitely gonna put on a show.”
    
The results of the hotly contested Lochte vs. Phelps swim-off came out as a draw as both won one race head-to-head, Lochte in the 400 meter IM and Phelps in the 200 meter IM.
    
Lochte and Phelps weren’t the only big names in the pool on that day, as Natalie Coughlin, a three-time Olympian, who is also an 12-time medalist in the Games, including winning gold three times, swam at Allan Jones. She said the reception the team received from UT and the community was more than welcoming.
    
“We’ve gotten so much support from all the fans that showed up at 4 a.m. that I still think is crazy, but more power to them,” she said. “I hope the people know how much we really appreciate that. Whether it’s just a smile or a wave or a ‘Go U.S.A.,’ It means a lot.”
    
As one of the older swimmers, Coughlin, who took home one bronze medal in the 4 X 100 meter free relay,  saw herself in more of a mentor role this go-around.
    
“In ‘04 I was a rookie and in ‘08 I was somewhere in the middle experience-wise,” she said. “On this team, I’m definitely a veteran. I’m trying to take that leadership role and realize how important it is and help out all the younger kids as much as possible.
    
“There’s a lot of emotions with the Olympics and it’s hard to describe it unless you’ve been there. There’s anxiety, but there’s also so much pride and honor and excitement, but the only way to describe it is overwhelming. It’s overwhelming in every sense of the word.”