University of Otago associate professor David Gerrard, who is at the Olympic Games as part of the medical commission, told One News on Saturday that Phelps was upset when he heard of Laing's condition and asked Gerrard to pass on a special message to Laing from him. Laing (77) has been ill in Dunedin Hospital, and is now a resident at Marne St Hospital, in Dunedin.
Friend Brian McCutcheon said Laing thought it was amazing for Phelps to think of him at this time.
Yesterday, Laing was told the message from Phelps when he was watching the American receiving his eighth gold medal on the dais.
Laing told Mr McCutcheon to win eight golds medals was an absolutely amazing feat. It was hard enough to win any Olympic medal, let alone eight that Phelps had done.
Phelps would have done a lot of work to cover all the strokes, saying it was tough enough in swimming to master one stroke.
A swimming coach for more than 40 years, Laing understood the amount of work Phelps would have done to grab all those medals.
