Michael Phelps Wins His Historic 14th Gold Medal
It’s official. Michael Phelps is now the Greatest Olympic Athlete in the history of the Modern Olympic Games. There is no question, no argument to the contrary. He stands alone as the sole Olympic athlete to win 14 Gold Medals overall and has won more Gold Medals in a single Olympic Games than any other athlete of the Modern Olympic Games — it simply cannot be denied that he is the greatest. With a little help from his teammates Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and Jason Lezak, Phelpsie swam his way into the history books by winning the Gold Medal in the Men’s 400-meter Medley Relay in, yet again, World Record time:
Michael Phelps locked arms with his three teammates, as though they were in a football huddle calling a play, then hugged each one of them. It took a team to make him the grandest of Olympic champions. And one last big push from Phelps himself. Going hard right to the end of a mesmerizing nine days in Beijing, Phelps helped the Americans come from behind Sunday in a race they’ve never lost at the Olympics, cheering from the deck as Jason Lezak brought it home for a world record in the 400-meter medley relay. It was Phelps’ history-making eighth gold medal of these games. “Everything was accomplished,” he said. “I will have the medals forever.” Phelps sure did his part to win No. 8, eclipsing Mark Spitz’s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games. Aaron Peirsol got the Americans off to the lead in the backstroke, but Brendan Hansen — a major disappointment in this Olympic year — slowed them down with only the third-fastest breaststroke leg. By the time Phelps dived in for the butterfly, the U.S. was trailing Australia and Japan. That’s when he really went to work. With his long arms whirling across the water like propellers, Phelps caught the two guys ahead of him on the return lap and passed off to Lezak a lead of less than a second for the freestyle. The Australians countered with former world record-holder Eamon Sullivan as their anchor. “I was thinking not to blow the lead,” Lezak said. “I was really nervous.” Sullivan tried to chase down Lezak and appeared to be gaining as they came to the wall, but Lezak finished in 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds — Phelps’ seventh world record in his personal Great Haul of China. The Aussies took silver in 3:30.04, also under the old world record of 3:30.68 set by the U.S. in Athens four years ago, while Japan held on for the bronze … Spitz’s iconic performance was surpassed by a swimmer fitting of this generation: a 23-year-old from Baltimore who loves hip-hop music, texting with his buddies and wearing his cap backward. “I don’t even know what to feel right now,” Phelps said. “There’s so much emotion going through my head and so much excitement. I kind of just want to see my mom.” Debbie Phelps was sitting in the stands at the Water Cube, tears streaming down her cheeks, her two daughters by her side. After getting his gold, Phelps quickly found his family, climbing through a horde of photographers to give all three a kiss. Mom put her arm around his neck and gave him a little extra hug. Her son sure earned it. “The Beijing Olympics has witnessed the greatest Olympian of all time — Michael Phelps of the USA,” the announcer said as Phelps posed with his teammates. The Americans still had to wait a couple of tantalizing minutes for the official results to be posted. Finally, it flashed on the board. World record. Gold medal No. 8. “Nothing is impossible,” Phelps said. “With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is an imagination, and that’s something I learned and something that helped me” … “Without the help of my teammates this isn’t possible,” he said. “I was able to be a part of three relays and we were able to put up a solid team effort and we came together as one unit. For the three Olympics I’ve been a part of, this is by far the closest men’s team that we’ve ever had. I didn’t know everybody coming into this Olympics, but I feel going out I know every single person very well. The team that we had is the difference.” Phelps set seven world records and one Olympic record, doing a personal best time in every event … Phelps won some races by ridiculously large margins, others with the closest of finishes — most memorably, his seventh gold by one-hundredth of a second over Serbia’s Milorad Cavic in the 100 fly. Along the way, he became the winningest Olympian ever and left China with 14 career golds — five more than anyone else with at least one more Olympics to go. “It’s been nothing but an upwards roller-coaster and it’s been nothing but fun,” Phelps said.
“Nothing but fun” — that is exactly the kind of attitude that can take a person far in life. You know, even tho I said that I could “feel” that Phelpsie was going to win his 8 Gold Medals at these Summer Olympic Games, a little bit of me mebbe kinda doubted it a little … I actually did a little jump when I got word that he won his Gold last night. Much congrats and lurve goes out to Michael Phelps for giving us a thrilling Olympic Games thus far … he was deffo the story for the first half of the Games and we still have the second half to look forward to. Amazing, he is just amazing … and very deserving of every accolade he receives for his incredible efforts and accomplishments. Michael Phelps is the Gold Standard … future Olympic athletes will be looking to him as the new benchmark of Olympic Glory. He is deffo the man.
Tags: Aaron Peirsol, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Brendan Hansen, Jason Lezak, Men's 400-meter Medley Relay, Michael Phelps
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August 17th, 2008 at 8:19 am
michael phelps is a amazing swimmer having won 8 gold medals is awesome!!!!!!!!! that is a great achviement congrats
August 17th, 2008 at 8:29 am
[...] Original post by It’s Trent, Bitch! [...]
August 17th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Oh PLEASE. It’s ONE sport. A ‘Great Olympian’ would be winning many medals at a sport which requires more athletic ability, or competing in different events…. for many years.
Had he been from another country you’d see it the same way everyone else does. Talented swimmer? Of course. ‘Greatest Olympian’? No. Only in the States. Winning many medals within one sport which has many events doesn’t make you the greatest ever.
Water makes you buoyant, which means you use less energy. You don’t have to contend with the elements while swimming either. No fog, no smog, no rain, no wind, no overbearing heat. Completely controlled temperatures, no wind. Swimming for anyone with good muscle tone is pretty freaking easy.
Plus he’s an arrogant jackass. I’d probably like him as an athlete if he didn’t act like he was saving the world each time he won something, and his gold yesterday was an utter fluke. The other guy beat him, *clearly*…. but didn’t press his board hard enough to register it. That’s ridiculous. All the cameras saw it, all the commentators commented on it…
Doing different strokes for 100m/200m etc is how he’s got those medals. Do you see the runners running it backwards? Or hopping? Skipping? No. It’s stupid to give them such a title as that for him barely actually doing anything at all.
Let’s put a runner doing small distances in different ways, give them a few gold medals and then herald THEM as being the greatest Olympic athlete… it’s exactly the same thing. You’re just blinded by your adoration for someone simply because he’s from your country.
How does it feel knowing that America got a large chunk of their gold medals this year by doing a few lengths in a pool? How does it feel to see Britain, a country the size of a small American state, doing as well as America would’ve done without the arrogant jackass that is Phelps?
It’s completely deniable. Sorry ;)
August 17th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Woah Nicola. Angry much? If you don’t like him, don’t read about him. And you’re certainly not convincing anyone with that extremely bitter argument. Get over it. You’re free to disagree but there’s no need to attack the opinion of everyone else. Your view is exactly what the Olympics AREN’T about.
Winning 8 Olympic gold medals isn’t easy. It doesn’t matter what the sport is. These are the best athletes in the world competing against each other, and Michael won handily in most of his competitions. The close ones were definitely the most exciting, and they use those touch pads for a reason. Races can be won and lost by coming up a fingernail short, as happened Friday night. It might not seem fair, but that’s how it is. That comes down to your instinct at the end, whether you choose to glide a little early or take another stroke. I think Michael’s accomplishments are AWESOME, though I am a bit sad his ‘08 Olympics are over. Still, he definitely deserves the break.
August 17th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Kim, you’re way nicer than I am. I was just going to say that NICOLA was the arrogant jackass. You’d think that Michael Phelps stood her up at prom or something the way she talks about him.
He IS a phenomenal athlete. Swimming is NOT easy for anyone who gets into a pool. In fact, I’d happily hop a flight across the pond to see you swim a few lengths, dear. I love a good freak show.
Your arguments are silly, petty, and most of all WRONG. Get over yourself and recognize talent when you see it. Learn how to give credit where credit is due. And, for the love of god, pull that massive sick out of your ass and enjoy life.
Sheesh.
August 17th, 2008 at 9:18 am
yayy i love michael!
August 17th, 2008 at 10:07 am
FUCK THE HATERS THEY CAN NEVER TAKE THIS AWAY FROM HIM anywhore i was jumping up and down screaming and crying I was so fucking proud of him congratz Michael I <33333333 U
August 17th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Ditto Kim. . . .Swimming fast is not just about having good muscle tone (Ian Crocker anyone?), in the same way being a gymnast isn’t about muscle tone either. You have to have good technique and form in your strokes AND be fast. Its one thing to have the technique but another to keep that technique at a high speed, and having one doesn’t lead to the other. Also, you need a fast response time off the block (the same way runners do) and have to work the walls well on turns. And the US is not the only country excited by this, like I said yesterday, Michael’s own peers at the Water Cube from around the world have expressed admiration, awe, and respect for what hes accomplished. They’re obviously the best judges of whether or not this is a difficult sport and if he deserves these accolades. He’s won 8 gold medals (more then most countries) 7 in World Record Time and one in OR time, holds the WR in every event he swims but one, and at least two of these events he won them in he has never lost since he began swimming them. Not to mention he won the fly blindly when his goggles filled with water and he had to count strokes to figure out where the wall was and time his turn which is crucial….At the end of the day, if swimming was so easy that anyone could do this…how come hes the only one? You’re right in pointing out that having different strokes presents more oppertunity, but most people specialize in one or two in one or two distances because its difficult to master multiple ones at the world level, same way most runners focus on the 100m and 200m and don’t try to throw in hurdles and the 400m. I really don’t get where you’re seeing arrogance in him. The first thing he did after the US won the relay last night was say thank you to each of his teammmates. And then, first chance he got, ran to see his Mom and sisters. And when he won number 7 and everyone said he was a shoe in for 8 he said he thought the Australians would give them a run for it. And its well reported that hes a nice person, loyal teammate, and generous individual. I think you’re confusing him with Usain Bolt, he gave a wonderful example of how to be an arrogant winner.
August 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
It is undeniable that Phelps is a great athlete and one of the greatest swimmers in history. Nevertheless, to crown him the “greatest Olympian” based on the number of gold medals he has won neglects the fact that he has participated in relatively more medal-granting events than the average athlete in other sports. For instance, those competing in badminton, basketball, and etc. would only have one main event (and hence one chance) to compete for a medal. This does not mean that they are not as capable, deserving, and diligent as Phelps. The bottom line is that both the media and the audience should rethink their criteria in determining what it means to be “the greatest Olympian,” if such a title should exist at all.
August 17th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Boy, there are a lot of bitter queens out there.The man is great.Whether he had one or 8 events the man is great to win them all.Besides he is hot.And yes anybody that wins 8 medals in one Olympic Games is great.Nobody else has done it before so you envious queens eat your hearts out.Michael Phelps is as of today the Greatest Olympian of all times.Besides he’s well hung and hasa great smile and it so cute in a teddy bear way.Adorable and a mama’s boy and I think he’s gay.I hope he’s gay and finds a good looking boy like him to settle down and be happy.And he’s still the Greatest Olympian of all time until somebody wins more medals than him in total and in one Olympic Games.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Nicola…you sound just like my husband, whose name is also Nicola…
Your argument is fallacious: Carl Lewis was a great Olympian in track, Mary Lou Retton in gymnastics, etc…where do you get the notion that in order to be considered “A great Olympian” athletes have to excel in more than one sport???
Michael Phelps is not only a great Olympian but THE GREATEST Olympian and it will be very unlikely that someone will match what he did…look how many years it took to match Mark Spitz!
Give this awesome athlete the credit that he deserves.
Perhaps you wanted to become a champion like Michael but never made it…take your frustrations out on someone else.
August 17th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
PHELPS IS AMAZING!!! Some unbelievable races… but he did it…correction…he and his team mates did it. He couldn’t have done it without the help of his team mates on those relays…especially Lezak!! Can’t for get Hansen, Berens, Peirsol, Jones, Webber-Gale, Lochte, etc!!
I didn’t bother to read past the first sentence of Nicola’s post. No need for me to get all riled up over that. I used to swim competitively and I’m in the water a couple days a week now, and it’s not just about being in shape and having muscles, a lot more goes into it.
Congrats to Michael Phelps and his team mates!
August 18th, 2008 at 6:59 am
whoa nicola, why are you so miserable and mean? and do you even know michael phelps to call him an arrogant jackass?
anyone who knows what’s up knows he has done an amazing job. i give him tons of credit and he deserves all the praise he gets.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:03 am
And let’s not forget his teammates, who helped him get some of those golds– among them Garrett Weber-Gale, Aaron Piersol, Jason Lezak– all of whom are HOTTER than Michael Phelps. Not that Hotness is an Olympic sport, but if it was, those three would medal before Michael Phelps. :D
Still, I’m proud of him and the WHOLE TEAM. I remember when Mark Spitz won his seven in 1972, and this is fabulous.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:08 am
And Nicola, darling, please don’t comment on things you clearly know nothing about. Swimming is “barely doing anything”??? I have two kids that swim and let me say, they get up at 4 am and are in the pool by 5–they go straight to class, and then they swim for almost three hours after school. Social life? Forget it. During the season they’re in bed by 8 pm if they’re not too tired to eat dinner. Homework? Um, yeah. It’s tough when you can’t stay awake. These kids work effing hard so please shut your ignorant white trash mouth, or just stuff it with more cookies that you got at 7-11, b’c you clearly don’t understand the level of skill and commitment that swimming takes.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:56 am
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