Athlete Bio: Michael Phelps (original) (raw)

Olympics|Athlete Bio: Michael Phelps

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/sports/olympics/biophelps.html

Credit...Christinne Muschi/Reuters

July 26, 2008

Rising to stardom as an all-around force at the 2003 world championships, Phelps became the face of the United States Olympic team in Athens as he attempted to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in a single Games. Then 19, he came up short, winning six golds and two bronze medals, but he matched the Olympic record for most medals in a single Games.

After the Athens Olympics, Phelps left his native Baltimore, where there is a street named after him, and followed his coach, Bob Bowman, to the University of Michigan. As a professional, Phelps could not compete for the Wolverines, but he served as a volunteer assistant coach and majored in sports management.

In the pool, he hasn’t become any less ambitious. He won five gold medals at the world championships in 2005, and five golds at the Pan Pacific championships the following year. Then came what the United States’ national team coach, Mark Schubert, called “the greatest performance of all time.” He had a Spitzian moment at last year’s world championships in Melbourne, Australia, where he swam the same lineup as in Athens and won seven gold medals, setting five world records in the process.

Phelps, now 23 and in his third Olympics, is again eligible for the same eight events he entered in Athens and Melbourne: 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley, 4x200 freestyle relay, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay.

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