Michael Phelps is happy to be compared to Mark Spitz as he attempts to surpass the legend's greatest-ever feat.

A winner of six gold medals at the Athens Olympics four years ago, Phelps will bid to make history in Beijing by outdoing Spitz's record of seven gold medals in Munich in 1972.

But the Baltimore native, who is taking part in eight events in China, is not putting any pressure on himself ahead of the Games.

"The pressure (to break Spitz's record) is coming from you guys (the media)," said the 23-year-old.

"I'm just focused on what my goals are. If I can come in and swim faster than I did at the Olympic trials, then I'm successful.

"If that means not winning any gold medals, that's fine, because it means that someone else did better than me.

"As far as the Mark Spitz thing is concerned, I've said it before and I'll say it again - all I want to be is the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz.

"What he did will always be remembered as the greatest Olympic swimming performance of all time.

"He will always be seen as one of the greatest Olympic swimmers of his era and I'm just looking to doing something different."

Phelps has been growing a moustache during the United States' swim team's training camp in Palo Alto and Singapore but insists he is not trying to draw comparisons between himself and the famously moustachioed Spitz.

"The moustache is about ready to go," he said.

"I've had it at a lot of my meets the last few years but it's nothing really. I'm just messing around.

"It'll probably be gone in a week."

Appearing relaxed after the team's morning training session at the Singapore Island Country Club, Phelps claims he is feeling in the form of his life with just a week to go before the opening of the Beijing Games.

"I've been training probably the best I've trained for some time," Phelps explained.

"I'm excited to be going to Beijing for the Games and pretty confident with how the training has been going and we'll see what happens.

"I swam well today. I've been swimming well and feeling good in the water and I'm ready to compete.

"It's been a great training camp and definitely for me it's been fun.

"I'm glad to be here and I'm happy to be where I am right now. I'm excited and looking forward to going to Beijing and hopefully having a good meet.

"How I will do, I have no idea and only time will tell but as of right now I'm feeling the best I've ever felt."

Phelps and the rest of the American team will leave Singapore for Beijing on Monday.