LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Michael Phelps' biggest problem on his path to the Athens Olympics is a weighty one -- sort of.

	Michael Phelps broke five World records this summer.

At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, the lanky swimmer is struggling to bulk up. He and his teammates at an aquatic club in his hometown of Baltimore even have contests to see who can consume the biggest breakfast.

"The most I ever had was an order of french toast, three pancakes, an omelet, a bowl of grits and three breakfast sandwiches,'' Phelps said during a recent visit to Long Beach, site of the U.S. Olympic trials next summer. "I'm going to keep eating like this until I can't.''

He has added 30 to 35 pounds and grown 4 inches since the 2000 Sydney Games, where he was the youngest member of the U.S. men's Olympic swim team since 1932.

But his weight fluctuates by as much as 7 to 10 pounds in any given week. He lost 10 pounds after having his four wisdom teeth removed. Phelps needs to at least maintain his current weight to help him better swim everything from the 100-meter butterfly to the 400-meter individual medley, which features four different strokes.

"I can go from 195 to 190 in a day. It's very frustrating,'' he said in between bites of a medium rare steak and mashed potatoes.

Besides the weight factor, the grueling racing schedule, along with illness, injury and competitors like Australian Ian Thorpe could also derail Phelps' bid to win seven golds in Athens -- and tie Mark Spitz's record.

History awaits

Michael Phelps says it with a straight face: "I want at least one gold medal." Right. And Barry Bonds wants at least 10 homers next season. When you're a swimmer who evokes comparisons to Mark Spitz, one Olympic gold is a warm-up. Phelps has already broken 11 world records, including an unprecedented five at this year's world championships, and his six-and-a-half-foot wingspan puts him within reach of the seven golds Spitz snagged in 1972. Will he go for it? The 18-year-old from Baltimore hasn't said how many events he'll race next August in Athens, but Speedo is offering $1 million if Phelps catches Spitz. Either way, he's sure to make waves. "Michael has already changed the landscape," says his coach, Bob Bowman. "It's hard not to put him in the history books." At least on one page. -- Eric Adelson

Phelps and Thorpe are considered the world's two best swimmers.

"People are trying to knock Thorpe off his pedestal,'' said Phelps, who so far has escaped serious injuries or illness in his career.

It won't be easy.

Like track and field, the swimming schedule isn't always favorable to athletes attempting multiple events. And swimmers must compete in preliminaries and semifinals before going for a medal in the finals.

"He'll probably be conserving as much energy in the semis and prelims as he can,'' said Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman. "He'll probably never have a prelim swim where he's pressured, but it just adds that extra layer of stress. He'll probably be saving his best efforts only for the finals.''

Phelps tested himself at the world championships this summer in Barcelona, Spain, where he smashed five world records, including two marks in two different strokes on the same day. Then he went home to Maryland, and about a week later he won five titles at the U.S. nationals.

"At worlds, that was a big step to really see what we could swim and what I could handle. Physically and mentally, this summer took a lot out of me,'' Phelps said. "I can take a few events before I start getting drained. Mentally it destroys you, it runs you down so much.''

In July, Phelps will be back in Long Beach, trying to qualify for Athens in as many as five individual events and two relays. His ability to swim several events makes him a versatile talent in a sport where swimmers typically specialize in either short or long-distance races.

"I wouldn't say it would be unrealistic that he could win five individual and two relays,'' Bowman said. "I'm not predicting that, but I think he could do that if it came up that way. Four is tough, five is really tough, over that is probably absurd.''

If Phelps wins seven golds in Athens or at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he would earn a $1 million bonus from his swimming suit sponsor.

"It's going to give me a little incentive to get up every morning at six o'clock and go work out,'' he said. "Days when you're tired, days when you don't want to go, you're going to think about that and it's going to push you.''

Phelps already makes a good living swimming, so he doesn't need the bonus to maintain his standard of living. He can afford the 60-inch plasma television he plans to buy for his family, electronic gadgets for his car, and a new puppy to replace his aging cat, who disappeared in November.

"He knows that swimming faster is the only thing that matters. If he doesn't swim faster, there's no more money,'' Bowman said. "He doesn't swim for the money, but he has a very good perspective: If he does his job, all the other good things will kind of fall into place.''

Phelps is keeping his schedule of events for the Olympic trials under wraps until the meet begins July 7.

"We're going to see how the year plays out and see what events are looking good and what are my off-events,'' Phelps said.