Michael Phelps Michael Phelps is a through and through true Olympian.
He has amazing capabilities and has proven it many times. I would definitely call him a great athlete. Michael Phelps stole the limelight through the best performances in Olympic history. In his early life Michael Phelps had already started his rise to the top. When Michael was born he had two sisters already in the sport of swimming which he entered very soon.
“As a seven-year-old, he refused to put his face in the water. Not surprisingly, the first stroke he mastered would be the backstroke” (“JockBio” 1).He started training in the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under training of Coach Bob Bowman. Under this direction he entered the U. S.
National B team in 1999. In his division he broke a record in the 200 meter butterfly, what is said to be his best stroke. “At Olympic tryouts he place 2nd and became the youngest swimmer to compete in Olympic history in 68 years” (“JockBio” 1) He was just 15 and was already competing with grown men and sometimes beating them. Michael Phelps was slow on land but fast in water. Very fast indeed.
He competed in many tournaments and won wherever he went. In the 2004 he entered the Athens summer Olympics.He was trying for the illusive 7 gold medals in swimming, the record held by Mark Spitz but came up short with six gold and 2 bronze. Well he decided that wasn’t good enough so the next year he came back with a whopping 8 gold medals! “I think it’s probably one of the greatest things sport in general has ever seen,”(Crouse 1). “At Sunday’s start, the Person’s Republic of Michael would have ranked fourth in gold medals and been ahead of all but 14 countries in the medal count”(Crouse 1). Phelps dominated all the events he came swam in and brought home the greatest record known to swimming.
Famous is an understatement for what Phelps became through the course of his swimming career. In every swim he competed in, he broke world records and astounded the crowds, judges, and even his competitors. “I just feel very privileged that I got to watch Michael Phelps win eight gold medals. That’s been the highlight of my Olympics” (Crouse 1). He just keeps going and doing what he came out to do. He swam to win and he did in every race he entered.
““Michael is doing what he’s doing,” she said, “and it kind of makes the rest of us look like if we don’t win a gold medal ... Hoff’s voice trailed off. ”(Crouse 2).
Even the other athletes felt they came up short or didn’t match up to the amazing feat he pulled off. He is a Phenomenon and a public character that is now one of the most influential people in the world for doing your best. It is safe to say that Michael Phelps is the best swimmer in Olympic history. He has proven it and will remain that way until another rises to greatness. He has taken the eyes of the world off of the rest of the Olympics and placed them on himself through his complete physical dominance a prowess.
