Michael Phelps: Difference between revisions
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{{Otherpeople|Michael Phelps}} |
{{Otherpeople|Michael Phelps}} |
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'''Michael Fred Phelps II''' (born [[June 30]], [[1985]] in [[Baltimore, Maryland]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[swimming|swimmer]] and world-record holder ([[as of 2005]]). |
'''Michael Fred Phelps II''' (born [[June 30]], [[1985]] in [[Baltimore, Maryland]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[swimming|swimmer]] and world-record holder ([[as of 2005]]). |
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[[Image:Michael_Phelps_2004.jpg|right|Michael at the Olympic Games in 2004]] |
[[Image:Michael_Phelps_2004.jpg|right|thumb|Michael at the Olympic Games in 2004]] |
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Michael Phelps (at the age of 15) first appeared at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney]] as the youngest American male swimmer at an Olympic Games in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, 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 200m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record. He then broke his own record again at the World Championships in [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]], [[Japan]] (1:54.58). At the [[2002]] Summer Nationals in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]], Phelps also broke the world record for the 400m [[individual medley]] and set American marks in the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley. |
Michael Phelps (at the age of 15) first appeared at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney]] as the youngest American male swimmer at an Olympic Games in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, 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 200m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record. He then broke his own record again at the World Championships in [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]], [[Japan]] (1:54.58). At the [[2002]] Summer Nationals in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]], Phelps also broke the world record for the 400m [[individual medley]] and set American marks in the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley. |
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Revision as of 08:30, 6 March 2006
Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer and world-record holder (as of 2005).
Michael Phelps (at the age of 15) first appeared at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney as the youngest American male swimmer at an Olympic Games in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, 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 200m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record. He then broke his own record again at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan (1:54.58). At the 2002 Summer Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Phelps also broke the world record for the 400m individual medley and set American marks in the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley.
In 2003, Phelps broke his own world record in the 400m individual medley (4:09.09) and in June, he broke the world record in the 200m individual medley (1:56.04). Then on July 7, 2004, Phelps broke his own world record again in the 400m individual medley (4:08.41) during the U.S. trials for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
He won the 2003 Sullivan Award.
2004 Summer Olympic Games
Phelps' dominance has brought comparisons to former swimming great Mark Spitz, who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Summer Olympics, a world record. Phelps had the chance to break that record in the 2004 Athens Olympics by competing in eight swimming events: the 200m freestyle, the 100m butterfly, the 200m butterfly, the 100m backstroke, the 200m backstroke, the 200m individual medley, the 400m individual medley, the 4x100m freestyle relay and the 4x100m medley relay. Unfortunately, his 4x100m freestyle relay team only won the bronze medal, and he personally placed for bronze in the 200m freestyle. Thus, he fell just short of that record. However, he did win eight medals in one Olympics, a feat only achieved by Aleksandr Dityatin, a gymnast, in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
| Michael Phelps' 2004 Summer Olympics Events | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Final medal count: 8 (6 gold, 2 bronze) | |||
| Date | Event | Final Time | Metal |
| August 14 | 400m individual medley | 4:08.26 WR | GOLD |
| August 15 | 4x100m freestyle relay | 3:14:62 | BRONZE |
| August 16 | 200m freestyle | 1:45.32 AR | BRONZE |
| August 17 | 200m butterfly | 1:54.04 OR | GOLD |
| 4x200m freestyle relay | 7:07.33 | GOLD | |
| August 19 | 200m individual medley | 1:57.14 OR | GOLD |
| August 20 | 100m butterfly | 0:51.25 OR | GOLD |
| August 21 | 4x100m medley relay | 3:31:54* WR | GOLD |
| WR: World Record; OR: Olympic Record; AR: American Record | |||
| *Phelps swam in the preliminary heat but not the final. | |||
Had he won seven golds, he would have been eligible for a US $1 million bonus from his sponsor, Speedo. Only a few days before the beginning of the swimming competition in Athens 2004, however, Gary Hall Jr. and Jason Lezak, both of whom were aiming to be on the U.S. 4x100m freestyle team, publicly criticized the possibility of allowing Phelps to swim in the event. In the view of some, they claimed that Phelps is not a top swimmer in the event and his presence could compromise the US team's performance in the name of what was called a "media circus" for Phelps to win eight gold medals. More specifically though, they claimed that he had not swum the 100m freestyle at Olympic Trials, and although having posted one of the top times in the nation, he should not have expected to gain an automatic berth.
On August 14, 2004, he won his first Olympic gold, in the 400m individual medley, setting another new world record (4:08.26).
On August 20, in the 100m 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 4x100m medley relay. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into the medley relay, but as he was exhausted from the many races he had competed in over the preceding week, he graciously gave up the butterfly leg in the finals to Crocker. The American medley team went on to win the event in world record time, and since he had raced in a preliminary heat of the medley relay, Phelps was also awarded a gold medal along with the team members that competed in the final.
See also: Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Selected events
Phelps graduated Towson High School in the Summer of 2003.
On November 4, 2004, Phelps was arrested in Salisbury, Maryland for driving under the influence after being pulled over for running a stop sign in his Land Rover with two friends. Phelps, who was 19 at the time (21 is the legal drinking age in Maryland), was arrested and cited for driving under the influence of alcohol. His specific blood alcohol content was .08. Phelps pled guilty to driving while impaired, avoiding charges of driving under the influence, underage drinking and failure to stop at a stop sign.
On December 29, 2004, Phelps was sentenced to 18 months of probation. He was also fined $250, required to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving meeting, and to give speeches to students at three high schools by June 1, 2005.
As of 2005, Phelps is attending University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Phelps is following his longtime coach, Bob Bowman, who left Phelps' previous swim team, the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, to become the head swimming coach of the University of Michigan varsity swim team. Phelps is also serving as a volunteer assistant coach and is taking classes, intending to major in sports marketing or sports management. Phelps cannot swim for the team, however, because his endorsement deal with Speedo has caused him to forfeit his amateur status.
Major Achievements
International
| Year | Meet | Venue | Distance | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | World Championships (LC) | Fukuoka, Japan | 200m | Butterfly | 1st |
| 2002 | Pan Pacific Championships | Yokohama, Japan | 200m | Butterfly | 2nd |
| Pan Pacific Championships | Yokohama, Japan | 200m | Individual Medley | 1st | |
| Pan Pacific Championships | Yokohama, Japan | 400m | Individual Medley | 1st | |
| Pan Pacific Championships | Yokohama, Japan | 800m | Freestyle | 2nd | |
| Pan Pacific Championships | Yokohama, Japan | 4 x 400m | Medley Relay | 1st | |
| 2003 | World Championships (LC) | Barcelona, Spain | 100m | Butterfly | 2nd |
| World Championships (LC) | Barcelona, Spain | 200m | Butterfly | 1st | |
| World Championships (LC) | Barcelona, Spain | 200m | Individual Medley | 1st | |
| World Championships (LC) | Barcelona, Spain | 400m | Individual Medley | 1st | |
| World Championships (LC) | Barcelona, Spain | 4 x 200m | Freestyle Relay | 2nd | |
| World Championships (LC) | Barcelona, Spain | 4x100m | Medley Relay | 1st | |
| 2004 | Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 200m | Freestyle | 3rd |
| Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 100m | Butterfly | 1st | |
| Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 200m | Butterfly | 1st | |
| Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 200m | Individual Medley | 1st | |
| Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 400m | Individual Medley | 1st | |
| Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 4 x 100m | Medley Relay | 1st | |
| Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 4 x 100m | Freestyle Relay | 3rd | |
| Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 4 x 200m | Freestyle Relay | 1st | |
| World Championships (SC) | Indianapolis, USA | 200m | Freestyle | 1st | |
| 2005 | World Championships (LC) | Montréal, Canada | 200m | Freestyle | 1st |
| World Championships (LC) | Montréal, Canada | 100m | Butterfly | 2nd | |
| World Championships (LC) | Montréal, Canada | 200m | Individual Medley | 1st | |
| World Championships (LC) | Montréal, Canada | 4 x 100m | Medley Relay | 1st | |
| World Championships (LC) | Montréal, Canada | 4 x 100m | Freestyle Relay | 1st | |
| World Championships (LC) | Montréal, Canada | 4 x 200m | Freestyle Relay | 1st |
LC: long course - 50m pool; SC: short course - 25m pool.
U.S. National Titles
- 100m free (3): '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM
- 200m free (4): '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM (AR), '03 SPG
- 400m free (2): '05 SPG, '03 SUM (AR)
- 200m back (3): '04 SPG, '03 SUM, '03 SPG
- 100m fly (5): '05 SPG, '04 SPG (USO), '03 SPG, '02 SUM (AR), ’01 SUM
- 200m fly (3): '05 SUM, '02 SUM (USO), '01 SPG (WR)
- 200m IM (5): '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM (WR), '02 SUM (AR), ’01 SUM
- 400m IM (1): '02 SUM (WR)
KRM
Records
| Record | Distance | Event | Time | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 200m | Butterfly | 1:53.93 | Barcelona, Spain | 2003, July 22 |
| 200m | Individual Medley | 1:55.94 | College Park, Md. | 2003, August 9 | |
| 400m | Individual Medley | 4:08.26 | Athens, Greece | 2004, August 14 | |
| AR | 200m | Freestyle | 1:45.20 | Montréal, Canada | 2005, July 26 |
| 4x200m | Freestyle Relay | 7:06.58 | Montréal, Canada | 2005, July 29 | |
| 200m | Freestyle (short course) | 1:43.59 | Indianapolis, Ind. | 2004, October 7 | |
| 200m | Butterfly (short course) | 1:52.27 | Melbourne, AUS | 2003, November 28 | |
| 200m | Individual Medley (short course) | 1:54.85 | Melbourne, AUS | 2003, November 29 | |
| 200y | Freestyle | 1:32.08 | Austin, Texas | 2005, March 3 | |
| 200y | Butterfly | 1:41.72 | Annapolis, Md. | 2003, March 10 |
External links
- Michael Phelps official web site
- Official U.S. Olympic Team bio ... with links to photo galleries and Q&As
- Michael Phelps' official fan site
- Stroke by Stroke: How Michael Phelps turbocharged his repertoire (photos).