Pretty adulatory, but not quite good enough for Biondi.
“What’s my name?” he demands.
Perhaps this reflects his status as a professional swimmer, something that barely existed in this country a few years ago. Biondi got a $55,000 stipend last year, more than any other U.S. swimmer, and he probably more than doubled It from endorsements. So his personality Is now as vital to his success as his shoulder, which suffered from tendinitis last year. “What a sponsor wants is somebody who captures the audience,” he reasons. “That’s not necessarily the guy who gets to the wall first.”
He failed to qualify for the butterfly, but he’ll have a chance to prove himself in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, and probably in the 400-meter free and medley relays as well. “It I don’t do well, then I’ll have a lot of free time,” says Biondi. “I may be a bum, but my dog will still love me.”
