“American Mark Warkentin tried to make the US Olympic swimming team in 1996, 2000, and 2004 - and failed every time. As he says, "There's not a person in the world who thought I had a shot at the 2008 Olympics". But, thanks to the introduction of long distance swimming, he will be the first American Olympian in this brand new event when it debuts in the summer Olympics in China this summer”