Michael Phelps and Kerri Walsh Steal the Hearts, and Votes, of Match.com Members

    DALLAS, Aug. 19 /EMWNews/ -- In a recent survey conducted by

Match.com, when given the choice of who they would pick to be the captain

of their dream team, 81% of Match.com members selected Michael Phelps and

his historic 8 gold medals.



    



    "It's clear that Michael Phelps has found a place in the hearts of our

members," said Darcy Cameron, senior director of marketing and advertising

for Match.com. "In honor of his historic accomplishments, Match.com would

like to offer Mr. Phelps a free membership until he finds that special

someone, even though we don't anticipate that he'll be single for long!"



    The poll also found that Match.com members dig beach volleyball. In

addition to advancing to the gold medal game, Kerri Walsh can celebrate

that Match.com members selected her as the female Olympian that they'd most

like to go on a date with, taking 36% of the vote.



    Fencing may seem like the most chivalrous sport, but according to

Match.com members, it's definitely not the sexiest. That title went to

beach volleyball with 58% of the vote.



    Additionally, when asked who they would rather have "pick them up when

they're down," 65% of Match.com members decided to go for the gold with

swimming sensation Michael Phelps, while only 35% selected Bela Karolyi.

*Kerri Strug was not available to participate in this survey.*



    In the end, Match.com members proved that the Olympics aren't just

about six-pack abs and bulging biceps. 62% of survey respondents said that

dedication and determination make an Olympic athlete more attractive than

just their chiseled physiques (38%).



    This Match.com poll was conducted online and fielded nearly 2,000

responses.

    About Match.com



    Match.com pioneered online personals when it launched on the Web in

1995 and continues to lead this exciting and evolving category after more

than a decade. Throughout its 13-year history, Match.com has helped

redefine the way people meet and fall in love. With more than 100 million

members since 2000 and 15 million current members, Match.com provides a

rich tapestry of ethnicities, interests, goals, ambitions, quirks, looks

and personalities from which to choose. Match.com operates some of the

leading subscription-based online dating sites in 37 countries, in 15

languages and spanning six continents. Match.com also powers online dating

on MSN across Europe, Asia, Australia, the United States and Latin America

and is the premier provider of personals for Love@AOL. Additionally,

Match.com powers online dating for Terra throughout Latin America.

Match.com is an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI).