Phelps gets little attention in China

Jeré Longman: Yi Jiandong, wrote a blog on a popular Web site about how many medals Phelps might win, which brought a vehement response [from the Chinese].

"It incited a lot of attacks on him from ultranationalists, who thought that by simply describing Phelps's quest, he was saying the U.S. was better than China," Brownell said, adding that the blog was eventually removed from the site, QZone.

clipped from www.iht.com "Dude, it's ridiculous how many times a day I have to see your ugly face," wrote the friend, identified by Phelps as Tyler Kohler. While Phelps is generating incredible attention in the United States with one record-breaking performance after another, his incandescent attempt to win eight gold medals at the Beijing Games is receiving curiously subdued attention in the country where it is taking place. The world record Phelps set in the 200-meter freestyle Tuesday was relegated to the world report on page 30 of Wednesday's editions of Titan Sports, a popular Chinese sports newspaper.