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{{Infobox Swimmer
{{Infobox Swimmer
| swimmername = Michael Phelps
| swimmername = Michael Phelps
| image = cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2009/01/phelps_516_0102_25518a.jpg
| image = http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2009/01/phelps_516_0102_25518a.jpg
| imagesize = 210px
| imagesize = 210px
| caption = Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
| caption = Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Revision as of 09:35, 6 February 2009

For the American biophysicist, see Michael E. Phelps.
Michael Phelps
Personal information
Full nameMichael Fred Phelps
NicknameThe Baltimore Bullet[1]
Nationality United States
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight200 lb (91 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly, Individual Medley, Freestyle, Backstroke
ClubClub Wolverine,
University of Michigan
Medal record
Men's Swimming
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 100 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 200 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 200 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 400 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 4 x 100 m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 100 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 200 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 200 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 400 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 4 x 100 m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 4 x 100 m medley relay
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens 200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens 4 x 100 m freestyle relay
World Championships - Long Course
Gold medal – first place 2001 Fukuoka 200 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2003 Barcelona 200 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2003 Barcelona 200 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2003 Barcelona 400 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2003 Barcelona 4 x 100 m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2005 Montreal 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2005 Montreal 200 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2005 Montreal 4 x 100 m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2005 Montreal 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2005 Montreal 4 x 100 m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2007 Melbourne 200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Melbourne 100 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2007 Melbourne 200 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2007 Melbourne 200 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2007 Melbourne 400 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2007 Melbourne 4 x 100 m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2007 Melbourne 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2003 Barcelona 100 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place 2003 Barcelona 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2005 Montreal 100 m butterfly
World Championships - Short Course
Gold medal – first place 2004 Indianapolis 200 m freestyle
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 2002 Yokohama 200 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2002 Yokohama 400 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2002 Yokohama 4 x 100 m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 2006 Victoria 200 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2006 Victoria 200 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2006 Victoria 400 m individual medley
Gold medal – first place 2006 Victoria 4 x 100 m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 2006 Victoria 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2002 Yokohama 200 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place 2002 Yokohama 4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Silver medal – second place 2006 Victoria 200 m backstroke

Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985) is an American swimmer. He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian. By the end of 2008, he held seven world records in swimming.

Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics with the eight golds he won at the 2008 Olympic Games. With this record, he surpassed American Mark Spitz, who was also a swimmer and had held the previous gold medal total with the seven that he won at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Overall, Phelps has won 16 Olympic medals: six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008. In winning these medals, he has twice equaled Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin's record of eight medals (of any type) at a single Olympics; Dityatin garnered eight at the 1980 Summer Olympics, while Phelps won eight medals at both the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Out of his eight gold medals from Beijing, five were won in individual events, tying the record for individual gold medals at a single Games originally set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Phelps ranks second in total career Olympic medals, after Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina, who won a total of 18 medals (nine gold) spanning three Olympic Games.

Phelps's international titles, along with his various world records, have resulted in him being awarded the World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and American Swimmer of the Year Award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Phelps has won a total of 48 career medals thus far: 40 gold, six silvers and two bronze. This includes all of the Championships in which he has competed: The Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships. In 2008 Phelps won Sports Illustrated magazine Sportsman of the Year award.

Personal life

Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge area of Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Towson High School in 2003.[2] His father, Fred Phelps, worked for the Maryland State Police and his mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Davisson Phelps, is a middle school principal.[2][3] The two divorced in 1994.[2] Michael, whose nickname is "MP", has two older sisters, Whitney and Hilary.[2][3] Both of them were swimmers as well, with Whitney coming close to making the U.S. national team for the 1996 Summer Olympics before injuries derailed her career.[4]

In his youth, Phelps was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).[2] He started swimming at age seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. He excelled as a swimmer, and by the age of 10 held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Phelps's rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15.[5]

In November 2004, at the age of 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired the following month and was granted probation before judgment and ordered to serve 18 months' probation, fined $250, obligated to speak to high school students about drinking and driving and had to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting.[6][7] Questioned about the incident later that month by Matt Lauer on the Today Show, Phelps said it was an "isolated incident" and that he had "definitely let myself down and my family down...I think I let a lot of people in the country down."[2]

Between 2004 and 2008, Phelps attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, studying sports marketing and management. In May 2008, Phelps announced his intention to return to Baltimore following the 2008 Olympics, joining Bob Bowman there after leaving the University of Michigan, saying, "I'm not going to swim for anybody else. I think we can both help the North Baltimore Aquatic Club go further. I'm definitely going to be in Baltimore next year." Bowman left the University of Michigan to become the club's CEO.[8] Phelps purchased a house in the Fells Point section of Baltimore, where he has resided since the 2008 Summer Olympics.[9]

Phelps' teammates at the Olympics called him "Gomer" because he reminded them of Gomer Pyle, the good-natured, naïve country boy played by Jim Nabors on The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..[10]

He has made an estimated $5 million per year in endorsements, including an estimated $1 million dollars to be the face of Mazda in China.[11] After receiving a $1 million bonus from swimsuit maker Speedo for winning at least seven[12] gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games,[13] Phelps used the money to create the Michael Phelps Foundation,[12][14] a charity foundation to promote water safety and to advocate swimming for children. Speedo then donated an additional $200,000 to the Foundation.[15]

On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported Phelps' selection as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC television program that aired on December 4, 2008.[16]

In early 2009, Phelps admitted to "behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment" following the publication of a photo in a British tabloid that showed him using a bong, a device used for smoking marijuana.[17] Phelps' agency, Octagon, had tried to keep News of the World from running the picture by offering Phelps' services to the paper as well a guaranantee of advertising by some of Phelps' sponsors. [18] As a result of Phelps' actions, the Richland County Sheriff's Department announced they were investigating to determine if Phelps could be charged with a crime,[19] USA Swimming suspended Phelps from swimming competitively for three months, and Kellogg's announced that they would not renew his endorsement contract.[20]

Physique and lifestyle

A few physical attributes particularly suit Phelps to swimming: his long, thin torso offers low drag; his arms span 6 feet 7 inches (201 cm)—disproportionate to his height of 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm)—and act as long, propulsive "paddles";[21] his relatively short legs lower drag, and perhaps add the speed enhancement of a hydrofoil;[22][23] his size 14 feet provide the effect of flippers; and his hypermobile ankles he can extend beyond the pointe of a ballet dancer, enabling him to whip his feet as if they were fins for maximum thrust through the water.[24]

In October 2007, Phelps slipped on a patch of ice and fell while climbing into a friend's car in Michigan, breaking his right wrist. Coach Bowman recalled that Phelps was in despair over the injury. For a few weeks after the surgery, he was confined to kicking in the pool with a kickboard while his teammates swam. However, this allowed Phelps to strengthen his legs, which may have allowed him to edge out Milorad Cavic in the 100 butterfly final for his seventh gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. In the last five meters, an exhausted Cavic was dragging his legs while Phelps used a strong kick to get his hands to the wall first, by a hundredth of a second.[25]

In a front page illustrated article profiling Phelps on the eve of the 2008 Summer Olympics, The Baltimore Sun described the hometown swimmer as "a solitary man" with a "rigid focus" at the pool prior to a race, but afterwards "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about".[2] Bowman told a Sun interviewer, "He's unbelievably kind-hearted", recounting Phelps's interaction with young children after practices.[2]

According to an article in The Guardian, Phelps eats around 12,000 kcal each day, or about six times the intake of a normal adult male.[26] Yet according to Michael Phelps in an interview with 60 minutes, the estimate given by the Guardian is "not true" and he states he eats 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day when training. [27]

Throughout the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was questioned by the press if perhaps his feats were "too good to be true", a reference to unsupported rumors that Phelps may be taking performance enhancing drugs. In response, Phelps noted that he had signed up for Project Believe, a project by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in which U.S. Olympians can volunteer to be tested in excess of the World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines.[28] During the Games, Phelps was tested nine times, and passed all of them.[29]

Phelps idolized Australian Ian Thorpe as a teenager, modelling his public image after Thorpe, and later watched videos to try to emulate the Aussie's famous six-beat underwater dolphin kick off the turns. Phelps, who finished third behind Thorpe in the 200m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics, had unsuccessfully tried to lure the Australian out of retirement in 2007 saying "I like to race him".[30] Thorpe initially said it was highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[31] His remarks were supposedly used by Phelps who stuck them on his locker as motivation during these Games.[32][33] Thorpe was in the stands for the Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay, where Phelps was swimming for his eighth Olympic title. When Phelps and his teammates captured the gold, Thorpe gave a congratulatory kiss to Phelps' mother, then gave a handshake and a hug to congratulate Phelps. Thorpe afterwards said "I'm really proud of him not just because he won eight golds. Rather, it's how much he has grown up and matured into a great human being. Never in my life have I been so happy to have been proved wrong. I enjoyed every moment of it".[34][30][35]

Career

Early years

As a young teenager, Phelps trained at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. At the age of 15, Phelps competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, becoming the youngest American male swimmer at an Olympic Games in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200 metre butterfly. Phelps proceeded to make a name for himself in swimming shortly thereafter. Five months after the Sydney Olympics, Phelps broke the world record in the 200 m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record.[36] He then broke his own record at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan by posting a time of 1:54.58. At the 2002 Summer Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Phelps also broke the world record for the 400 metre individual medley and set American marks in the 100 metre butterfly and the 200 metre individual medley.

In 2003, Phelps broke his own world record in the 400 metre individual medley (4:09.09) and in June, he broke the world record in the 200 m individual medley (1:56.04). Then on July 7, 2004, Phelps broke his own world record again in the 400 m individual medley (4:08.41) during the U.S. trials for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

In 2004, Phelps left North Baltimore Aquatic Club with Bob Bowman to train at the University of Michigan for Club Wolverine.

2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games

See also: Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Olympics
Event Results Time
200 m Butterfly 5th place

01:56.50

At the age of fifteen, Phelps finished in fifth place, in what would be the first of his several trips to Australia.[37]

2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games

See also: Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics
Event Results Time
400 m individual medley Gold Medal, World Record 4:08.26[38]
100 m butterfly Gold Medal, Olympic Record 51.25[39]
200 m freestyle Bronze Medal, American Record 1:45.32[40]
200 m butterfly Gold Medal, Olympic Record 1:54.04[41]
200 m individual medley Gold Medal, Olympic Record 1:57.14[42]
4 x 100 m freestyle relay Bronze Medal 3:14.62[43]
4 x 200 m freestyle relay Gold Medal, American Record 7:07.33[44]
4 x 100 m medley relay Gold Medal, World Record 3:30.68[45]

Phelps's dominance brought comparisons to former swimming great Mark Spitz,[46] who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Summer Olympics, a world record. Phelps tied Mark Spitz's record of four gold medals won in individual events. Phelps had the chance to break Spitz's record of seven total gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics by competing in eight swimming events (five of which were individual events): the 200 m freestyle, the 100 m butterfly, the 200 m butterfly, the 200 m individual medley, the 400 m individual medley, the 4x100 m freestyle relay, 4x200 m freestyle relay, and the 4x100 m medley relay. However, his 4x100 m freestyle relay team only won the bronze medal, and he personally placed for bronze in the 200 m freestyle. Thus, he fell short of Spitz's record. However, he did win eight medals in one Olympics, a feat only previously achieved by Alexander Dityatin, a gymnast, in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Phelps would later equal this record (and break Spitz's) with his eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympic Games.

Had he won seven golds in 2004, he would have been eligible for a US$1 million bonus from his sponsor, Speedo.[47] Phelps did, however, earn this $1 million by winning eight golds at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

On August 14, 2004 he won his first Olympic gold, in the 400 m individual medley, setting another new world record (4:08.26).

On August 16, he finished third behind Australian winner Ian Thorpe and the Dutch Pieter van den Hoogenband in 200 m freestyle final, called the race of the century.[48] Thorpe, upon hearing of the bonus from Speedo, was adamant that eight golds was impossible.[49] Although this race ended the chance to match Spitz's record, Phelps had savored the challenge even though it was not his strongest event, saying "How can I be disappointed? I swam in a field with the two fastest freestylers of all time".[50][37]

The 100 butterfly was Phelps' seventh medal and fifth gold, which was also his fourth gold in an individual event. That matched Mark Spitz's four solo golds in 1972. No other male swimmer ever claimed more than two individual golds in a single Olympics.[51]

On August 20, 2004 in the 100 m butterfly final, Phelps defeated American teammate Ian Crocker (who holds the world record in the event) by just 0.04 seconds. Traditionally, the Olympian who places highest in an individual event will be automatically given the corresponding leg of the 4x100 m medley relay. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into the medley relay but he deferred and Crocker swam instead. Crocker had made a mistake during his leg of the 400 freestyle relay final, which cost the Americans gold, so Phelps' gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends as well getting his final shot at a gold medal.[51][52] The American medley team went on to win the event in world record time, and, since Phelps had raced in a preliminary heat of the medley relay, he was also awarded a gold medal along with the team members that competed in the final.[53]

2004–2008

See also: 2005 World Championships and Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships
Phelps swims the 400 IM at the 2008 Missouri GP

Phelps moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan following the 2004 Olympics when his longtime coach at the North Baltimore Athletic Club, Bob Bowman, became head coach of the University of Michigan swimming team. Phelps served as a volunteer assistant coach, but did not swim for the university's team in NCAA competition because of his loss of amateur status, having accepted endorsement money from his sponsors Speedo, Visa, Omega and PowerBar.[54] Instead, he trained with and competed for Club Wolverine, a USA Swimming club affiliated with the university, between 2004 and 2008. The Baltimore Sun said in August 2008 that Phelps earns $5 million annually in endorsements.[2] Unknown to many, Phelps has penned two books. His second book, No Limits: The Will to Succeed,[55] was released on December 9, 2008.

He co-founded the "Swim with the Stars" program, along with Ian Crocker and Lenny Krayzelburg, a program which promotes swimming and conducts camps for swimmers of all ages.

He competed in the 2005 World Championships, winning six medals, (five gold and one silver) and breaking one Championship record.

2007 World Championships

At the 2007 World Championships,[56] Phelps won seven gold medals, tying the record, and broke five world records. The 4x100 m medley relay team he would have competed with in the final received a disqualification for a false start during a changeover in the heats.[57]

Event Results Time
200 m freestyle Gold Medal, World Record 1:43.86
100 m butterfly Gold Medal 50.77
200 m butterfly Gold Medal, World Record 1:52.09
200 m individual medley Gold Medal, World Record 1:54.98
400 m individual medley Gold Medal, World Record 4:06.22
4 x 100 m freestyle relay Gold Medal, Championship Record 3:12.72
4 x 200 m freestyle relay Gold Medal, World Record 7:03.24
4 x 100 m medley relay Did Not Compete (team disqualified in earlier heat)

2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games

See also: Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics

Phelps represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He qualified to compete in three team and five individual events,[2] swimming seventeen races in nine days[25] and winning the gold medal in all eight events:

Michael Phelps poses for a photo with U.S. President George W. Bush after Phelps won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's 400 meter individual medley at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Date (in Beijing) Event Results Time
August 10 400 m individual medley Gold Medal, World Record 4:03.84[58]
August 11 4 x 100 m freestyle relay Gold Medal, World Record 3:08.24[59]
August 12 200 m freestyle Gold Medal, World Record 1:42.96[60]
August 13 200 m butterfly Gold Medal, World Record 1:52.03[61]
August 13 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Gold Medal, World Record 6:58.56[61]
August 15 200 m individual medley Gold Medal, World Record 1:54.23[62]
August 16 100 m butterfly Gold Medal, Olympic Record 50.58[63]
August 17 4 x 100 m medley relay Gold Medal, World Record 3:29.34[64]

Phelps set an Olympic record in the preliminary heats of the men's 400-meter individual medley.[65] He followed that up in the final by winning the gold medal, as well as breaking his previous world record by nearly two seconds.

Phelps swam the first leg of the men's 4x100 m freestyle relay in a time of 47.51 seconds (an American record for the 100 m freestyle), and won his second gold medal of the 2008 Olympics, as well as setting his second world record of the Olympics (3:08.24). Teammate Jason Lezak, after beginning the anchor leg more than half a body length behind Alain Bernard, managed to finish ahead of the second-place French team by eight hundredths of a second. The top five teams in the final finished ahead of the world record of 3:12.23 set the day before by the American B team in a preliminary heat.[66]

For his third race, Phelps broke his previous World Record in the 200-meter freestyle by nearly a second and won his third gold medal. He also set his third world record at the Olympics, 1:42.96, winning by nearly two seconds over silver medalist Park Tae-hwan.[67] In this race, Phelps became only the fifth Olympic athlete in modern history to win nine career gold medals, along with Mark Spitz, Larissa Latynina, Paavo Nurmi, and Carl Lewis.

Phelps holds his gold medal on the podium on August 10, 2008. Pictured with Ryan Lochte and László Cseh

The next day, Phelps participated in two finals. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps made it four gold medals and world records in four events by swimming the final in 1:52.03, defeating silver medalist László Cseh by almost seven-tenths of a second despite his goggles filling up with water and being unable to "see anything for the last 100 meters."[68][69] This fourth gold medal was his tenth, and made him the all-time leader for most Olympic gold medals won by an individual in the modern Olympic era. Less than one hour after his gold medal victory in the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps swam the lead-off leg of the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay. He won his fifth gold and set his fifth world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Template:City-state, by more than four and a half seconds.[70]

After taking a day off from finals (Phelps did swim in qualifying heats), Phelps won his sixth gold of the Beijing Games on August 15 by winning the 200-meter individual medley with a World Record time of 1:54.23, finishing ahead of Cseh by over two seconds.[71]

On August 16, Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Games in the men’s 100-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record for the event with a time of 50.58 seconds and edging out his nearest competitor, Serbian-American swimmer Milorad Čavić, by 1/100 of a second.[72] Unlike all six of his previous events in the 2008 Games, Phelps did not set a new world record, leaving Ian Crocker’s world record time of 50.40 seconds, set in 2005, intact. Phelps’s 0.01-second finish ahead of Čavić prompted the Serbian delegation to file a protest; however, subsequent analysis of the video by the FINA panel, which required analyzing frames shot 1/10000 of a second apart, confirmed Phelps’s victory.[73] The initial refusal by official timekeeper Omega, to release underwater photos of the finish also raised questions due to Phelps's sponsorship relationship with Omega.[74] Čavić later wrote in his blog: "People, this is the greatest moment of my life. If you ask me, it should be accepted and we should move on. I’ve accepted defeat, and there’s nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been".[75]

Epic. It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet.
—Mark Spitz (on Phelps winning his 7th gold medal)[76]

Phelps’s seventh gold medal of the Games tied Mark Spitz’s record for gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, set in the 1972 Olympics. It was also his fifth individual gold medal in Beijing, tying the record for individual gold medals at a single Games originally set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Said Phelps upon setting his seventh-straight Olympic record of the Games in as many events, “Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible… I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real.”[77]

Michael Phelps celebrates with his team-mates after winning his 8th gold medal.

On August 17, Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the men’s 4 × 100-meter medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, which had stood since 1972.[78] Phelps, along with teammates Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol, and Jason Lezak, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds, 0.7 seconds ahead of second-place Australia and 1.34 seconds faster than the previous record set by the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. When Phelps dived in to swim the 100-meter butterfly leg, the third leg of the 400-meter medley, the United States had been trailing Australia and Japan. Phelps completed his split in 50.1 seconds, the fastest butterfly split ever for the event, giving teammate Jason Lezak a more than half-second lead for the final leg, which he would hold onto to clinch the event in world record time.[79] Said Phelps, upon completing the event that awarded him his eighth gold medal and eighth Olympic record in as many events, “Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are… Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to.”[80]

In an article published in the wake of the event, The New York Times noted that, in the hours before his eighth and final event in the 2008 Games, had Michael Phelps been a country, “the Person’s Republic of Michael would have ranked fourth in gold medals [after China, the United States, and Germany] and been ahead of all but 14 countries in the medal count.”[81] Only Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina holds more total career Olympic medals with 18 (nine gold), compared to Phelps's 16 (14 gold).

Honors and awards

Oprah Winfrey interviews Michael Phelps at September 3, 2008 taping of season-opening September 8, 2008 Oprah Winfrey Show at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Sources:[82][83][84][85]

Major achievements

International events

Year Meet Venue Distance Event Results
2000 Summer Olympics Sydney, Australia 200 m Butterfly 5th
2001 World Championships (LC) Fukuoka, Japan 200 m Butterfly 1st (WR)
2002 Pan Pacific Championships Yokohama, Japan 200 m Butterfly 2nd
200 m Individual Medley 1st
400 m Individual Medley 1st
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay 2nd
4 x 100 m Medley Relay 1st (WR)
2003 World Championships (LC) Barcelona, Spain 100 m Butterfly 2nd
200 m Butterfly 1st (WR)
200 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
400 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay 2nd (AR)
4 x 100 m Medley Relay 1st
2004 Summer Olympics Athens, Greece 200 m Freestyle 3rd (AR)
100 m Butterfly 1st (OR)
200 m Butterfly 1st (OR)
200 m Individual Medley 1st (OR)
400 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
4 x 100 m Medley Relay 1st
4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay 3rd
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay 1st (AR)
World Championships[86]

(SC)

Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. 200 m Freestyle 1st (AR)
2005 World Championships[87]

(LC)

Montreal, Quebec, Canada 400 m Freestyle 13th
200 m Freestyle 1st
100 m Freestyle 7th
100 m Butterfly 2nd
200 m Individual Medley 1st
4 x 100 m Medley Relay 1st
4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay 1st
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay 1st
2006 Pan Pacific Championships Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 200 m Backstroke 2nd
200 m Butterfly 1st (WR)
200 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
400 m Individual Medley 1st
4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay 1st (WR)
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay 1st (AR)
2007 World Championships (LC) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay 1st
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay 1st (WR)
200 m Freestyle 1st (WR)
200 m Butterfly 1st (WR)
200 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
100 m Butterfly 1st
400 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
2008 Summer Olympics Beijing, China 400 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay 1st (WR)
200 m Freestyle 1st (WR)
200 m Butterfly 1st (WR)
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay 1st (WR)
200 m Individual Medley 1st (WR)
100 m Butterfly 1st (OR)
4 x 100 m Medley Relay 1st (WR)

LC: long course - 50 m pool; SC: short course - 25 m pool.

(WR) - World Record, (OR) - Olympic Record, (AR) - American Record

U.S. national titles

With 38 national titles as of 2007, Phelps is beginning to approach the record of 48 held by Tracy Caulkins.

Meters Nationals (38+5):

50 m free (1): '07 SCN
100 m free (4): '07 WIN, '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM
200 m free (7): '07 SUM (US), '06 SUM, '05 SUM, '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM (AR), '03 SPG
400 m free (2): '05 SPG, '03 SUM (AR)
100 m back (1): '07 SUM (US)
200 m back (4): '07 SUM (US), '04 SPG, '03 SUM, '03 SPG
100 m fly (7): '07 SUM, '06 SUM, '05 SPG, '04 SPG (US), '03 SPG, '02 SUM (AR), ’01 SUM
200 m fly (4): '06 SUM, '05 SUM, '02 SUM (US), '01 SPG (WR)
200 m IM (6): '06 SUM, '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM (WR), '02 SUM (AR), ’01 SUM
400 m IM (2): '06 SUM, '02 SUM (WR)
4 x 100 m medley (2): '07 SUM, '06 SUM
4 x 100 m free (2): '07 SUM, '05 SUM
4 x 200 m free (1): '05 SUM (US)

Yards Nationals (2+1):

100 yd free (1): '07 SCYN
200 yd free (1): '07 SCYN
4 x 200 yd (180 m) free (1): '07 SCYN (AR)
  • Relays do not count as individual national titles.
  • USA Swimming is currently in the process of moving away from having two National Championships per year to only one. As a result, he has not and may not attend many more Spring Nationals.

Records and rankings

Currently held records

Record Distance Event Time Location Date
World 200 m (lc) Freestyle 1:42.96 Beijing, China 2008, August 12
200 m (lc) Butterfly 1:52.03 Beijing, China 2008, August 13
200 m (lc) Individual Medley 1:54.23 Beijing, China 2008, August 15
400 m (lc) Individual Medley 4:03.84 Beijing, China 2008, August 10
4 x 100 m (lc) Freestyle Relay 3:08.24 Beijing, China 2008, August 11
4 x 200 m (lc) Freestyle Relay 6:58.56 Beijing, China 2008, August 13
4 x 100 m (lc) Medley Relay 3:29.34 Beijing, China 2008, August 17
American 100 m (lc) Freestyle 0:47.51 Beijing, China 2008, August 11
200 m (sc) Freestyle 1:43.78 East Meadow, New York, US 2006, February 4
200 m (sc) Butterfly 1:52.27 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2003, November 28
200 yd Freestyle 1:32.08 Austin, Texas, US 2005, March 3
200 yd Butterfly 1:39.70 Austin, Texas, US 2006, March 4
400 yd Individual Medley 3:36.26 Austin, Texas, US 2006, March 3
Set in US 200 m (lc) Freestyle 1:44.10 Omaha, Nebraska, US 2008, July 1
200 m (lc) Backstroke 1:54.65 Indianapolis, Indiana, US 2007, August 1
200 m (lc) Butterfly 1:52.20 Omaha, Nebraska, US 2008July 3
200 m (lc) Individual Medley 1:55.94 College Park, Maryland, US 2003August 9
4 x 200 m (lc) Freestyle Relay 7:12.35 Irvine, California, US 2005August 5
200 m (sc) Freestyle 1:43.78 East Meadow, New York, US 2006, February 4
400 m (sc) Individual Medley 4:03.99 East Meadow, New York, US 2006February 3
200 yd Butterfly 1:39.70 Austin, Texas, US 2006, March 4
400 yd Individual Medley 3:36.26 Austin, Texas, US 2006, March 3

World records

With 32 world records (26 individual, 6 relay) as of August 2008, Phelps is approaching Mark Spitz's record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay). All of the records were set in a long course (50 meter) pool; records that currently stand are indicated in bold. Currently, he holds seven world records.[88]

No. Distance Event Time Location Date
1 200 m Butterfly 1:54.92 Austin, Texas, US 2001, March 30
2 200 m Butterfly (2) 1:54.58 Fukuoka, Japan 2001, July 24
3 400 m Individual Medley 4:11.09 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, US 2002, August 15
4 4x100 m Medley Relay[a] 3:33.48 Yokohama, Japan 2002, August 29
5 400 m Individual Medley (2) 4:10.73 Indianapolis, Indiana, US 2003, April 6
6 200 m Individual Medley 1:57.94 Santa Clara, California, US 2003, June 29
7 200 m Butterfly (3) 1:53.93 Barcelona, Spain 2003, July 22
8 200 m Individual Medley (2) 1:57.52 Barcelona, Spain 2003, July 24
9 100 m Butterfly 0:51.47 Barcelona, Spain 2003, July 25
10 200 m Individual Medley (3) 1:56.04 Barcelona, Spain 2003, July 25
11 400 m Individual Medley (3) 4:09.09 Barcelona, Spain 2003, July 27
12 200 m Individual Medley (4) 1:55.94 College Park, Maryland, US 2003, August 9
13 400 m Individual Medley (4) 4:08.41 Long Beach, California, US 2004, July 7
14 400 m Individual Medley (5) 4:08.26 Athens, Greece 2004, August 14
15 200 m Butterfly (4) 1:53.80 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 2006, August 17
16 4x100 m Freestyle Relay[b] 3:12.46 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 2006, August 19
17 200 m Individual Medley (5) 1:55.84 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 2006, August 20
18 200 m Butterfly (5) 1:53.71 Columbia, Missouri, US 2007, February 17
19 200 m Freestyle 1:43.86 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2007, March 27
20 200 m Butterfly (6) 1:52.09 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2007, March 28
21 200 m Individual Medley (6) 1:54.98 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2007, March 29
22 4x200 m Freestyle Relay[c] 7:03.24 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2007, March 30
23 400 m Individual Medley (6) 4:06.22 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2007, April 1
24 400 m Individual Medley (7) 4:05.25 Omaha, Nebraska, US 2008, June 29
25 200 m Individual Medley (7) 1:54.80 Omaha, Nebraska, US 2008, July 4
26 400 m Individual Medley (8) 4:03.84 Beijing, China 2008, August 10
27 4x100 m Freestyle Relay (2)[d] 3:08.24 Beijing, China 2008, August 11
28 200 m Freestyle (2) 1:42.96 Beijing, China 2008, August 12
29 200 m Butterfly (7) 1:52.03 Beijing, China 2008, August 13
30 4x200 m Freestyle Relay (2)[e] 6:58.56 Beijing, China 2008, August 13
31 200 m Individual Medley (8) 1:54.23 Beijing, China 2008, August 15
32 4x100 m Medley Relay (2)[a] 3:29.34 Beijing, China 2008, August 17
a with Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, and Jason Lezak
b with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak
c with Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaay
d with Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak
e with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaay

Best times and all-time event rankings

Event Best Time All-Time American Rank All-Time World Rank Top 25 Swims All-Time
Long Course Meters
100 m Freestyle 0:47.51 #1 #3 #5
200 m Freestyle 1:42.96 #1 #1 #1, #2 (1:43.31r), #3 (1:43.86), #5 (1:44.10), #13 (1:44.98), #18 (1:45.20), #20 (1:45.32), #24 (1:45.36r)
400 m Freestyle 3:46.73 #5 #22
100 m Backstroke 0:53.01 #3 #3 #5, Tie-#8 (Aaron Peirsol, 53.17), #19 (53.42)
200 m Backstroke 1:54.65 #3 #3 #5, #15 (1:55.30), #23 (1:55.84)
100 m Butterfly 0:50.58 #2 #2 #3, #5 (50.89), #7 (51.04), #9/10 (51.10), #11 (51.15), Tie-#13 (Ian Crocker, 51.25), #17 (51.34), #19 (51.39), #23 (51.47)
200 m Butterfly 1:52.03 #1 #1 #1, #2 (1:52.09), #3 (1:52.20), #4 (1:53.33), #5 (1:53.71), #6 (1:53.80), #8 (1:53.93), #9 (1:54.02), #10 (1:54.04), #12 (1:54.31), #13 (1:54.32), #14 (1:54.35), #20 (1:54.58), #25 (1:54.86)
200 m Individual Medley 1:54.23 #1 #1 #1, #2 (1:54.80), #3 (1:54.98), #5 (1:55.84), #6 (1:55.94), #7 (1:56.04), #10 (1:56.50), #13 (1:56.68), #14 (1:56.71), #16 (1:56.80), #18 (1:56.93), #20 (1:57.14), #21 (1:57.39), #23 (1:57.44), #24 (1:57.52)
400 m Individual Medley 4:03.84 #1 #1 #1, #2(4:05.25), #4(4:06.22), #6(4:08.26), #7(4:08.41), #8(4:09.09), #15 (4:10.16), #16 (4:10.47), #17 (4:10.73), #19 (4:11.09), #22 (4:11.30), #23 (4:11.40)
Short Course Yards
100 yd Freestyle 0:41.93 #5 #9
200 yd Freestyle 1:32.08 #1 #2 #2, #3 (1:32.13), #6 (1:32.43)
500 yd Freestyle 4:10.43 #5 #5 #7
100 yd Backstroke 0:45.50 #7 #8
200 yd Backstroke 1:41.55 #21 #23
100 yd Butterfly 0:45.40 #4 #6
200 yd Butterfly 1:39.70 #1 #1 #1, #2 (1:41.72), #6 (1:42.10)
200 yd Individual Medley 1:41.30 #2 #2 #3, #4 (1:41.32), #9 (1:42.78)
400 yd Individual Medley 3:36.26 #1 #1 #1, #9 (3:39.61)

See also

References

  1. ^ Harris, Nick. "'Baltimore Bullet' has history in his sights". Baltimore Sun. 2008-08-11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kevin Van Valkenburg (2008-08-03). "Phelps' voyage". The Baltimore Sun. pp. 1A, 16A–17A. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "USA Swimming — Michael Phelps". U.S. Olympic Committee. 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-26.
  4. ^ "Life after Swimming", by Mo-Jo Isaac, Swimming World Magazine, November 2005.
  5. ^ Paul McMullen, Amazing Pace: The Story of Olympic Champion Michael Phelps from Sydney to Athens to Beijing. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2006.
  6. ^ "Olympic Champ Sentenced For DUI". CBS News. 2004-12-29. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  7. ^ "Michael Phelps". Ask Men. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
  8. ^ Kevin Van Valkenburg (2008-05-11). "Phelps returns to attend NBAC fundraiser". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2008-05-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Kevin Van Valkenburg (2008-08-18). "Phelps to rest, reinvent". The Baltimore Sun. p. 1A. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "Phelps's debut lives up to star-spangled expectation". NBC Sports. 2008-08-10.
  11. ^ Olympic star Phelps returns to China ... for car commercials. SI.com, January 11, 2009. Retrieved on January 11, 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, will use the $1 million bonus he earned from Speedo for tying Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals to start his own foundation." Bob Considine (2008-09-02). "Phelps to use $1 million bonus to start charity". MSNBC.[dead link]
  13. ^ "Teammate's Final Stroke Keeps Phelps in Hunt for 8 Gold Medals". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  14. ^ Steve Ginsburg, edited by Ed Osmond (2008-09-03). "Phelps uses Olympic bonus to start foundation". The Guardian (United Kingdom) via Reuters. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)[dead link]
  15. ^ Associated Press (2008-09-02). "Phelps using $1M bonus to start swim foundation". The Boston Herald.
  16. ^ Barbara Walters Gets Up Close with 2008's Most Fascinating People," TV Guide. December 1, 2008. Retrieved on December 3, 2008.
  17. ^ "Swimmer Phelps regrets pot pipe". BBC. February 1, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
  18. ^ " "Phelps Made a Mistake, But His Handlers Made It Worse" Washington Post. February 2, 2009.
  19. ^ South Carolina Cops Considering Charging Phelps ESPN.com, February 3, 2009
  20. ^ Macur, Juliet (2009-02-05). "Phelps Disciplined Over Marijuana Pipe Incident". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  21. ^ Garside, Kevin (August 15 2008). "Profile: Michael Phelps - A normal guy from another planet". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved August 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Michael Sokolove, Built to Swim (§19), New York Times, 8 August 2004
  23. ^ Parry, Steve (August 13 2008). "What makes Phelps so special?". BBC. Retrieved August 15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ Paul McMullen, Measure of a Swimmer, Baltimore Sun, 9 March 2004
  25. ^ a b Phelps's epic journey ends in a perfect 8 - International Herald Tribune
  26. ^ "Michael Phelps is now the top Olympian of all time. Here's what it takes". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  27. ^ YouTube - Michael Phelps on 60 Minutes (part 2 of 2)
  28. ^ Allan Maki (2008-08-15). "Phelps deals with doping questions". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
  29. ^ Wave of Drug Tests Uncovers Few Cheats - NYTimes.com
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  31. ^ Phelps won't win eight: Thorpe
  32. ^ The Phelps Phenomenon - OhmyNews International
  33. ^ Quotes about Michael Phelps- ET Cetera-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times
  34. ^ Michael Phelps swims, what does Ian Thorpe do? | Herald Sun
  35. ^ Prediction comes back to haunt Ian Thorpe | The Australian
  36. ^ Paul McMullen (2001-05-09). "Phelps marks his time Swimming: Towson High's Michael Phelps now counts a butterfly world record, as well as his participation in the 2000 Olympics, as his biggest thrills". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
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  40. ^ "Thorpe grabs 200 m glory". BBC Sport. 2004-08-16. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
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  51. ^ a b [3] [dead link]
  52. ^ [4] [dead link]
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  73. ^ Crouse, Karen (16 August 2008), "Phelps Wins 7th Gold with 0.01 to Spare", New York Times.
  74. ^ LONGMAN, JERÉ (August 20, 2008). "By Withholding Photos, Olympic Timekeeper Draws Attention to Relationship With Phelps". New York Times.
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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Phelps.
Records
Preceded by Men's 200 metre butterfly
world record holder (long course)
March 30, 2001 – Present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Men's 400 metre individual medley
world record holder (long course)
August 15, 2002 – Present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Men's 200 metre individual medley
world record holder (long course)
June 29, 2003 – Present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Men's 100 metre butterfly
world record holder (long course)
July 25, 2003 – July 26, 2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 200 metre freestyle
world record holder (long course)
March 27, 2007 – Present 		Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by World Swimmer of the Year
2003 – 2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Swimmer of the Year
2006 – 2008 		Incumbent



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