Omaha, NE (My Sportsbook) - Saying it's time to pass the baton of his legacy, Mark Spitz is ready to succumb his record of seven gold medals at one Olympics to Michael Phelps.

Speaking Friday at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, the 58-year-old Spitz spoke about Phelps and his attempt at glory next month in Beijing.

"He certainly has more experience, but so does his competitors swimming against him," Spitz said. "Based on the experience he had trying to do it four years ago and based on what I've seen on TV...I'd say he has a great chance of doing it."

At the 1972 Munich Games, Spitz won four individual medals and three relays. Thirty six years later, Phelps is preparing for a historical run, one in which could make him the greatest swimmer in Olympic history.

"I think it's about time somebody else takes the responsibility and I'm happy to pass the baton of my legacy onto somebody I know that I've inspired," Spitz said. "Thirty six years is a long time.

"This is going to be history. He's going to do it with what we say is a little schooling to the rest of the world. It's going to be exciting for those who are going to see it in person and for those who will watch it on TV."

Four years ago Phelps won six gold medals in Athens, capturing the 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m individual medleys, and a pair of relay golds. As he finishes the trials and prepares for Beijing, Phelps continues to be the poster boy of the Olympics, and why not?

"I think it's marvelous not only for him. I think it's great for the sport of swimming," Spitz said. "It's certainly great for the Olympic movement and NBC has to thank him immensely because he's their meal ticket the first week of competition."

As Phelps races this week, Spitz said the 23-year-old is taking the right approach by not expending all of his energy at the trials and that he just focus on each race, looking to the importance of Beijing.

"If you had been tapered totally for this meet, you're going to be a little bit flat a month later," Spitz said. "There's not enough time to go back into a sequence. It takes 6-to-8 weeks to really get back and he knows that. I would expect that in a month you're going to see him win by margins and set times that have never been done before. He'll be unbelievable."

In an age of world records being broken, more than 40 since the controversial Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit was introduced in February, Spitz was quick to say technology cannot be responsible for the success or downfall of an athlete.

Spitz is old-school. He gained a bit of notoriety by swimming with a mustache at the 1972 Games, while nearly all of the other swimmers chose to have no hair exposed to lessen drag in the water. It didn't work though and Spitz believes no new suit or any technology will stop Phelps in Beijing.

"I've said in tongue and cheek that if it had hair on that suit, Mike would still break world records and everybody would get into the same kind of suit," Spitz said. "I really don't think it's the swimming suit. If it was the swimming suit then I'm buying Tiger Woods' golf clubs. If it doesn't matter who the swinger is, I'll be able to score like that."

And what about predicting if Phelps will actually break Spitz's record?

"If he doesn't do it, it was meant not to be," Spitz said. "That doesn't take away from his greatness. I can unequivocally say he's showing perhaps a different bit of courage I did. I was not chasing Mark Spitz's record."