The departure of Michael Phelps from big sport in 2016 marked the end of an era in world swimming, which began in 2001. Then the fifteen-year-old debutant won gold at a distance of 200 m butterfly, and in the next decade and a half became the main star of the pools, winning an incredible number of gold awards at the Olympics, breaking all conceivable and unimaginable records.
The formation of the Baltimore Bullet
The greatest swimmer Michael Phelps was born in the town of Towson, in the state of Maryland, in 1985. His father left the family when the boy was nine years old, and since then Michael and his sisters have lived with his mother. He began to engage in swimming largely under the influence of his older sister, who visited the local pool.
In addition, one of the reasons why Michael spent a lot of time in training was the diagnosis he made in high school. According to psychologists, he was hyperactive and at the same time had attention deficit disorder. Indefatigable energy needed to be done somewhere, which he successfully did on the paths of the pool.
By the age of ten, the coach Bob Bowman appears in the biography of Michael Phelps, who will take care of him throughout the sports career of the future star. In a short time, a native of Towson becomes the strongest in his age category, playfully breaking the U.S. youth records in swimming. Skate Michael Phelps became a butterfly, in which he had no equal. In addition, the swimmer was a real all-rounder, due to which he was lucky in the complex heats.
Superstar Appearance
While still a schoolboy, an American enters the national team of the country to participate in the 2000 Olympics. At that time, he was only fifteen years old, but there were no authorities for the impudent debutant. Michael Phelps was declared to participate in only one discipline - 200 m butterfly. He entered the final race and took fifth place, which forced all specialists to pay serious attention to the debutant.
Already in 2001, Michael won the gold of the World Cup at his favorite distance - 200 m butterfly. And he did this, breaking the previous world achievement, becoming the youngest record holder in the history of swimming.
In 2003, Michael Phelps amazed the entire world sports community at the next World Cup, showing himself to be a real universal. He won gold again in the butterfly stroke, in addition, he won in the complex heats and added a trophy to his individual awards as part of the relay team.
First Olympiad
It became clear that the next decade will be a period of unconditional dominance of Michael Phelps in the pool. He did not hide his ambitions and announced his plans to win all eight disciplines in which he was going to take part in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The champion almost succeeded, he became the first at all distances in butterfly stroke, integrated swimming, won two golds with the relay team. Only at a distance of 200 m he did not manage to defeat the main superstars of that era - Jan Thorpe and van den Hugenband: he became a bronze medalist in non-core discipline. Thus, the young maximalist took away six gold and two bronze awards from Greece, considering this performance a personal failure.
At the peak of fame
After his first Olympics, Michael Phelps allowed himself a little rest, drastically reducing the number of disciplines in which he was going to perform at the 2005 World Championships. Nevertheless, here he was the undisputed leader, taking home another four gold.
However, at the pre-Olympic World Cup in 2007, the American decided to arrange a dress rehearsal before the main four-year tournament. Here he achieved one hundred percent result - seven final heats and seven triumphs.
After such an impressive demonstration of power, no one doubted that the 2008 Beijing Olympics would be held under the sign of Phelps, who would make a second attempt to achieve an absolute result. Thus, he could surpass his compatriot Mark Spitz, who in 1972 won seven gold medals at the Olympic Games alone.
The doubts of the skeptics who believed that such a thing could not be achieved simply physically were dispelled. Michael Phelps, whose photo did not leave the covers of world publications, was at the peak of his sports career and beat his competitors with a huge margin. Eight Finals - Eight Wins. From Beijing, the American left the fourteen-time Olympic champion.
Leaving Sports
Nevertheless, it was clear that Mike Phelps could not forever be at the top of world swimming. Gradually new talented swimmers came up who wanted to overthrow the American from the world throne, and he himself was not young every year. Realizing this, the swimmer gradually reduces his program, no longer claiming to participate in the freestyle heats.
The Olympics in London earned him "only" four gold. For the first time in a long time, he was unable to win a butterfly on his favorite two-hundred-meter race, and at a distance of 400 meters the complex remained completely below the prize-winners. For any other athlete, this would be a huge achievement, but Phelps took the incident as a failure and announced his retirement from the big sport.
The American rivals breathed a sigh of relief and began to share the awards in the absence of the former king.
Triumphant return
However, in 2014, Phelps, hungry for victories, decided to return to speak at the 2016 Olympics. At this tournament, the American played the role of a "dark horse", since no one imagined his real possibilities. As a result, he was able to confirm his high status by winning two individual gold at a distance of 200 meters with the complex and butterfly, and also helped relay teams win three finals.
Thus, Phelps became the only athlete in history who managed to win gold medals 23 times. In addition, he surpassed the achievement of the ancient athlete Leonid, who two and a half thousand years before he won individual gold 12 times. On the account of the Baltimore Bullet - 13 victories in the individual competition.
The peculiar anthropometric data of an outstanding swimmer is considered one of the reasons for his fantastic records. Michael Phelps is 195 cm tall, while his arms reach 203 cm, which exceeds average characteristics. In addition, experts note that he has a long torso, relatively short legs and a huge foot size. All these physical features of the physique could play a role in the triumphs of the swimmer.