**Chapter 188: Who's the Champion?

"Phil, was it really an accident that you fell before the 100-meter breaststroke final?" 

On the plane, swimmer Ryan Lochte looked at Michael Phelps, whose knee was wrapped in a bandage.

Phelps, wearing headphones, leaned back in his seat, clearly ignoring the question. His gaze was fixed on teammate Link Beck, who was surrounded by several female athletes, chatting and laughing.

"Phil, tell us the truth. Were you worried about losing to Link and deliberately injured yourself? Just tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Lochte took off his headphones and leaned closer.

Phelps shot him a disgruntled look, then turned his gaze toward the front of the cabin. His teammates leaned in, eager to hear what he had to say.

Phelps said grumpily, "You think I'm scared of him? Come on, Link is fast and strong, but his technical skills are lacking. If he wants to race me in the individual medley, I'd beat him by five seconds. He's not a threat."

"Hey Link, Phil wants to challenge you to a medley swim, are you up for it?" 

Lochte called out.

Link turned around with a smile. "Phil's medley is impressive. Maybe you can give me some tips when you get a chance?"

Phelps smirked, "Sure."

In reality, he had no intention of accepting the challenge. After seeing Link's performance up close, Phelps was stunned by his strength and speed in the water. Link swam powerfully and swiftly, with remarkable balance, resembling a shark. 

Although Link's weaknesses were evident, particularly in technical strokes like butterfly and backstroke, his potential was enormous. Under professional coaching, he could significantly improve his swimming skills. At just 21, Link's future in swimming looked incredibly bright.

Phelps, feeling the pressure of having such a formidable teammate, had suffered a knee injury before the breaststroke final, which he blamed for his withdrawal from the competition. The injury had been captured on camera and led to rumors that he had injured himself on purpose to avoid facing Link.

"Phil, just so you know, I do plan to train with you in Baltimore if you're open to it," Link said, clearly serious about improving his skills.

"Alright," Phelps agreed reluctantly, feeling he had no other choice.

As the plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport, the swimming team held a press conference at Terminal 7, attended by over sixty media reporters. 

Given Link's fame as the swimmer with the most gold medals at the World Championships, he was placed at the forefront to address the press.

"Mr. Beck, congratulations on winning seven gold medals and breaking two world records at this World Championship. As both a world boxing champion and a swimmer, how do you achieve such success in two different sports? What's your secret?"

An ABC News Channel host asked.

Link considered the question and responded, "Talent and hard work. If you look at my background, you'll see that before boxing, I was a professional diving instructor living by the ocean. My swimming and diving skills come from that experience. Talent is important, but more crucial is relentless effort. Through consistent training, both my boxing and swimming skills have significantly improved."

"Mr. Beck, after becoming a world boxing champion and a famous singer, will you continue being a diving instructor?" a reporter from the American Press asked.

Link smiled, "Yes, that's the plan. However, I'm quite busy at the moment. When I have the time, I will return to Miami to continue diving instruction. I invite everyone to come dive with me in Miami."

"Mr. Beck!" 

A reporter from the Los Angeles Times shouted, "I've just received news that your second album, *Keep On Movin'*, has topped the Billboard 200 chart this week. How do you feel about this?"

Link was surprised. "Is that true?"

"Yes, according to the latest Billboard data, *Keep On Movin'* sold 518,000 copies this week, beating the runner-up *The Blueprint 3* by 12,000 copies," the reporter confirmed.

Link raised his fists in front of the camera and smiled, "That's fantastic news. I've won another championship. Last week, I won eight championships. Thanks to everyone for the support, and thanks to all my colleagues and fans."

Link held up the seven gold medals hanging around his neck and said, "To thank my fans, on the 1st of next month, I'll randomly select 15 lucky fans from the albums sold and give them all these medals, including these seven and the eight I won at the university games."

"Mr. Beck, is this true?" 

The reporters' excitement peaked, as this promised to be a valuable story.

"Of course!" Link confirmed.

"Will you be including your Olympic gold medals in the giveaway?" 

A reporter from USA Today asked.

Link thought for a moment and decided that if he was going to give away medals, he might as well include everything. He looked at Phelps, "Phil, can I include your gold medal as well?"

"Do whatever you want with it," Phelps shrugged, not caring about the matter.

Phelps was relieved that Link didn't ask for the boxing gold medal, which was far more valuable and hard to come by. Many collectors had already offered up to $100,000 for it, and its value would only increase with Link's rising fame.

"Indeed, Olympic gold medals will be included in the giveaway, but the draw will take place in mid-next month, with lucky fans selected globally."

"That's amazing!"

"Link's fans are going to go wild!"

The reporters were thrilled, feeling that Link was an excellent interview subject who consistently delivered valuable news.

"Mr. Beck, there are rumors that you and Ms. Ivanka have secretly gotten engaged. Is that true?" 

A reporter from The Sun shouted, catching everyone's attention.

Link, who had been enjoying the press conference, suddenly lost interest. He waved his hand and said, "Today is about the swimming team's achievements. There are many questions for other team members. I won't take up more of your time."

Link stepped back behind Phelps and Lochte, leaving the spotlight.

Many reporters gave The Sun's journalist disapproving looks. They were annoyed that a potentially lucrative interview was cut short by an irrelevant question.

However, their interest was quickly piqued again when they saw the injured "Flying Fish" Phelps. The rumors about his injury and Link's potential impact on the relay team made for compelling news.

Phelps, feeling the reporters' intense scrutiny, tried to retreat but found himself pinned in place by Link's hand on his shoulder. He had no choice but to face the barrage of questions from the eager media.