Milo Cavic: Will he deprive Michael Phelps of Olympic history?

BEIJING -- We didn't have enough time before deadline in the Los Angeles Times sports section this morning to bring you the provocative quotes from one Milo Cavic.

He is the Anaheim-born, Tustin-raised University of California-educated Serbian swimmer who beat Michael Phelps in the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly Thursday and believes he can do it again in the final Saturday morning (Friday night in the United States).

"It would be good for the sport if he loses,'' Cavic, 24, said of Phelps.

I think what he meant is that it would be good for Cavic.

"It would be nice if historians talk about Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals and losing the eighth to some guy,'' he said. "I'd like to be that guy.''

Cavic is known within swimming circles for his Serbian loyalty -- he was disqualified from the European championships this summer because he wore a T-shirt deemed disrespectful of Kosovo's independence  from Serbia.

But he acknowledges that he has enjoyed a peaceful life in Orange County.

"I didn't have to sleep in a bunker for a few years,'' he said. "I've had a great life. There's no way I'd say a bad word about the U.S.''

-- Randy Harvey

Photo: Milo Cavic after winning heat 9 of the men's 100-meter butterfly Friday. Credit: Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty Images

Comments

[Petar Matovic]

He is a serbian patriot and a great sportsman and he is more popular than tennis stars and nba stars because he left easy life to fight for his people and truth. He is defending serbian people , that's all.

May god bless him and may he win as well cause he is a great sportsman. I am always stunned by the bitterness and hate toward anything serbian in the US media, it's like we bombed you or something or you think you can just hate us without any consequences

[Peter]

May the best man win. If it is Milo, then so be it. It doesn't sound like he is disrespectful but it does sound like he respects his heritage. Nodody should have a problem with that.

[Zoran]

"he was disqualified from the European championships this summer because he wore a T-shirt deemed disrespectful of Kosovo's independence from Serbia."

No he wore a shirt that stated "Kosovo is Serbia", which is a fact. And dont forget that Cavic broke the world record in that race!!!

[Sasha]

First of all, Kosovo is not independent "yet"..It has been recognized as independent by 40 countries out of 195 countries on this planet..I has not been labeled by the UN as independent..Kosovo is not independent, and is still part of Serbia...it was for the past 1300 years, and now a country 300 years old, decided to change history..Thinking they're being democratic by taking a big piece of someones land...But now a serbian athlete is not allowed to say that..?..He didn't say kill albanians, steal, shoot, nothing wrong...All he said is "Kosovo is Serbia", and there is nothing wrong w/ that...where the hell is democracy here..?..

balkanbaby.blogspot.com

"A good deal of rational and sane Serbs do not wish for Kosovo to be separated from Serbia, and it is for these people that Cavic speaks, not for the violent and thuggish protesters who harm their own cause through their ignorance."

[disgruntled]

Hey Randy, What he was trying to say is, the olympics are about great competetion you moron....your article sucks as you do "provocative quote" HaHAHAhAHA I mean it's about pushing yourself and your competetiors to the limit and bringing out the best, what a sad article.

may the best man win

[insider]

everyone said "may the best man win"....well, he did, and it as phelps.....see ya, milo....don't forget to applaud michael while he stands on the podium

[The Voice Of Truth]

I used to like Cavic until I heard his disgraceful and petulant response... the guy sounds like a petulant little girl. Too bad. Phelps, whether he won or lost, is already the best thing to happen to swimming in the history of the sport. Not Cavic.

[Arjan]

Randy you seem to one of the many reporters whose job is demonize Serbs and get compensated by the Saudi lobby in various forms.

Cavic might be cocky but so is Phelps, and let us leave the rest to the finals. Your double standards are no different than the US regarding their intervention in Kosovo while critiquing the Russians on Georgia.

And that is arrogance.

[Enzo Bartolo]

I admire Milo Cavic as an athlete and as a man.When 99% of people would maybe have taken advantage of the privileges of living in Orange County he choose his own roots and understood that history is what make you what you are. You called disrespectfull wearing a shirt reading "Kosovo is Serbia".. That statement just reflects the plain truth. Would you say that it's disrespectfull the resolution 1244 that (literally) states: Kosovo is part of Serbia? Would you call disrespectfull the Final Act of Helsinky where it states that the international borders are intangible? Or what is valid for all (and for Russia in Georgia) does not apply to the overprivileged U.S.?

[Jim]

Randy, this racist/nazistic article of yours is one pathetic piece of work.

Kosovo is a province of Serbia, why does that insult you as an "American"?

Is it because you're job depends on funds from satan/allah worshipers?

Kosovo is Serbia, a Christian country in Europe, that has problems with Albanian muslim terrorists. Deal with it, go to therapy, do whatever you have to do to get it in your head.