Michael Phelps

Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer and world-record holder (as of 2005).

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 a bronze medal due to a disappointing effort by teammate Ian Crocker, 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.

Related Topics:
Mark Spitz - 1972 Summer Olympics - 1980 Olympics

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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.

Related Topics:
US - Speedo - Swimming - Athens 2004 - Gary Hall Jr. - Jason Lezak - U.S. - Media circus

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On August 14, 2004, he won his first Olympic gold, in the 400m individual medley, setting another new world record (4:08.26).

Related Topics:
August 14 - 2004

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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 a 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 to Crocker, who would not have received a gold medal otherwise. 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.

Related Topics:
August 20 - Ian Crocker

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NBC Olympic coverage of the 2004 games always showed him listening to his iPod with Bose headphones before competing.

Related Topics:
NBC - IPod - Bose

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See also: Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics

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