NEW YORK (AP) — Rowdy Gaines clearly had much to say as Michael Phelps turned the race for his 22nd Olympic gold medal into a rout on Thursday. We're just not sure what it was.
The NBC swimming analyst's voice turned into a high-pitched shout that became lost in the roar of the crowd. There's nothing wrong with an announcer reflecting an event's excitement, but not to the point of losing control. Better to take a breath.
Only hours earlier, the knowledgeable Gaines showed what he had to offer. In the relative calm of an 800-meter freestyle preliminary race in the afternoon, Gaines neatly broke down gold medalist Katie Ledecky's swimming style in illuminating fashion, explaining to non-experts what put her ahead of her rivals.