Mel Stewart is a former American swimmer who won two golds and a bronze at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He's covering the swimming world championships for Yahoo! Sports.

ROME - At the Foro Itlalico pool, site of the 2009 swimming world championships, Tyler McGill trudged down the long blue carpet runway toward the horde of media.

"I didn't see Phelps," McGill started before the first question was fired.

There was an awkward pause. No one watched McGill's 100m butterfly final. All eyes were transfixed on the epic battle between Michael Phelps and Milorad Cavic.

McGill shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It was an honor to be in the butterfly final that broke the 50-second barrier," said McGill, who shook his head as if there was nothing left to say. "Phelps is great."

McGill, the other American in the 100 fly final, went a 51.42, and has hovered in the 51.0-second range since the U.S. trials for worlds.

I used to swim. I won an Olympic gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1992 Games. I know: McGill is great.

"He understands the situation," said a reporter from a major publication, referring to McGill. "We're here for Phelps. NBC is only here because of Phelps."

I nodded. "It's the Michael Phelps show," I said, agreeing, but I admit I felt slightly awkward saying it. I felt uneasy.

Inside the tight clique of the swimming community, we're all incredibly thankful for Phelps. Whether you're a world-class swimmer on the cusp of medal contention, a governing body striving to increase registration, or a swimwear manufacturer fighting for market share, you can't deny the "Phelps Effect." Mr. Swimming has been a boon for business. Inside the swimming clique we're giddy.

But tension is tempering our hopes for the future. We're in a race against time to elevate the sport's visibility beyond our one truly global star.

Phelps plans to compete until the 2012 Olympics, but we can all hear the clock ticking.

While the white-hot spotlight has been on Phelps, a few stars have managed to peek outside his shadow: Aaron Peirsol, Natalie Coughlin and Ryan Lochte, to name a few. With 24 Olympic medals between them and London on their schedule, we have the firepower to grow the sport, and, perhaps, make it more mainstream.

But for others, those out of medal contention or still developing, grabbing any attention from Michael Phelps just got even harder.

The reason for that is the other star of the 2009 world championships, the star that has arguably gotten as much media attention as Phelps, although it has become taboo to talk favorably about this "star" during worlds: the hi-tech polyurethane swimsuit.

On the eve of the world championships, FINA banned them from competition in 2010.

Phelps is fine with the ban. "I'm ready to get back to swimming," he said in a postrace press conference after losing to unheralded Paul Biedermann in the 200m freestyle. "The sport's not about swimming anymore."

Most swimwear manufactures aren't necessarily on the same page.

Quietly, out of the spotlight, they've been grumbling. Most are in favor of the hi-tech suits - and their high price-point, which drives revenue. These dollars drive swimwear contracts, and it's clear these contracts will be cut, or significantly reduced, for athletes just out of the medal hunt.

Will the fallout of the 2010 FINA ban on hi-tech suits result in little or no swimwear endorsement dollars for athletes like Tyler McGill?

I've heard the manufacturers' grumblings, and they worry me. Athletes depend on these sponsorship dollars to live on and to pay for training expenses.

Phelps won't feel that pain, nor will most major stars within the community, but Tyler McGill will be graduating from college next year, as will David Walters and Ricky Berens and others like them. They are our new stars, and I worry for these athletes. While we should be wondering, "Who will rival Michael Phelps?" instead I wonder how many young swimmers of today will have the chance to try.

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