Countdown to the Comeback: Top 10 Phelpsian Pheats-#10

We’re counting down the top 10 moments of Michael Phelps’ career, so far. You, our readers, can participate, by voting for number one! Either Tweet or Comment on our Facebook with #phelpstop10lezaked if your number one is the improbable 400 free relay come-from-behind victory in Beijing is your top Phelps moment. Tweet or Facebook #phelpstop10cavic if your favorite is the almost unseeable 100 fly win over Milorad Cavic in Beijing, or Tweet/Comment #phelpstop108golds if your pick is the 400 medley relay, which ran Phelps into the history books.

The swimming world is patiently waiting for the sport’s greatest of all time to make a splash at the Mesa Grand Prix this coming weekend. It’ll be the first time Michael Phelps has dove into competitive waters since the 400 medley relay in London and could be a true marker for what lies ahead for Phelps’ swimming future. But while everyone will be debating on what Phelps’ future holds, SwimSwam has decided to take a look back at some of the superstar’s top 10 moments in swimming history.

Phelps’ Top Ten Countdown
#10. Phelps becomes the youngest male swimmer to break a world record

Moment number ten brings us back to where things all began for Mr. Phelps. The year was 2001, the pool was the historic Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, and the event was what to become Phelps’ bread and butter, the 200 fly. In a meet that would ultimately land him his first World Championship and his first international medal. Phelps not only made the team in but became the youngest male swimmer ever to break a world record, swimming a blistering 1:54.92 at the age of 15 years and 9 months.  At age fifteen, most of us were joining our high school swim teams or still swimming summer club, not even knowing who some of the world records holder were;  and now there was one our own age.  Little did Phelps know, this would be the jumpstart to his historic career.

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bobo gigi
10 years ago

Seriously. Has someone on earth filmed that race in Austin in 2001?
First WR by MP.
I’m still waiting for the video. 😥

2nd request. Fukuoka 2001. Men’s 200 fly final. MP vs Franck Esposito.
MP won with a new WR of 1.54.58.
I’m still waiting for the video. 😥

3rd request. Fort Lauderdale 2002. Women’s 100 back.
Natalie Coughlin destroyed the WR in 59.58 and was the first woman under the minute.
I’m still waiting for the video. 😥

mcgillrocks
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

They’re probably out there somewhere in NBC’s garage of unused tapes and video storage. I find it hard to imagine that no one recorded the world final, especially when you can find the other world finals in Youtube without even having to look.

Wether or not Austin 2001 was filmed in the first place is questionable. It could very well be that no one in the stands thought to put down the events of the meet on tape.

Luigi
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

Bobo, I can meet your 2nd request, i.e. the Fukuoka race.
The commentary is in Italian and the video quality is bad, but there you go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_xNmwYfANM&index=4&list=FL8VJxl_5aaZTFmtk1jsMgvw

Luigi
Reply to  Luigi
10 years ago

mmmm, the link above does not seem to work. Let me try again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_xNmwYfANM&index=4&list=FL8VJxl_5aaZTFmtk1jsMgvw

Luigi
Reply to  Luigi
10 years ago

I’ll try one last time, please remove the posts above:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_xNmwYfANM&list=FL8VJxl_5aaZTFmtk1jsMgvw&index=4

bobo gigi
10 years ago

I’ve been very surprised to see how USA swimming announced on its website last week the comeback of Michael Phelps in Mesa.
http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&itemid=6002&mid=8712
Nothing in the headline of the article.
It looks like his return is not a big deal for the American federation.
It’s like he had never stopped his career and will only swim at another Grand Prix meet. As usual. Nothing more.
Weird.

SoCalAdvRacer
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

Bobo, I’m not surprised at all. If you look at the way press releases are written by USA Swimming, they are very much fact based only. They don’t sensationalized their titles or stories. I think this way they don’t show any preference to one swimmer over another. I’m sure it’s the polictically correct way that a big organization communicates. That’s why I prefer this website for swim based news, they give the entire coverage in a non biased way.

bobo gigi
Reply to  SoCalAdvRacer
10 years ago

I understand that but he’s the greatest.
They could show more love for him. 🙂

aswimfan
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

Well, the fact is Phelps only took 1 year sabbatical leave.

Jon Nap
10 years ago

Any thoughts on how Phelps will actually do in the 50?

bobo gigi
Reply to  Jon Nap
10 years ago

No. I’m absolutely not interested in his 50 free.
I’m only interested in his 100 fly.
On the other hand, I don’t expect anything great so I can’t be disappointed. 🙂
Seriously, if MP is already under 53 in his first meet, it will be terrifying for his opponents.

Jon Nap
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

Yeah I don’t expect anything great honestly. Will agree with you on the fly. Can’t wait for that.

WeloveMP
Reply to  Jon Nap
10 years ago

50 free is my least fav event. but if MP is in the race, I will definitely watch it. 22-mid could be possible…hahaa
hope he shows some speed in both 50 & 100m. more power to Phelps & God bless him!
what kind of jammers will Phelps be wearing?? hmm 😀

mcmflyguy
Reply to  WeloveMP
10 years ago

22 mid? nah as much as I think phelps has speed he is a back half swimmer in the 100. i’m going with 22 high. and as far as if he is under 53 in the 100 fly, I expect him to be a 54 low.

WeloveMP
Reply to  Jon Nap
10 years ago

50 free is my least fav event. but if MP is in it, i will definitely watch it 22-mid could be possible imo.
hope he shows some speed in both 50 & 100m. more power to Phelps & God bless him!
what kind of jammers will Phelps be wearing??? hmm 😀

Joel Lin
10 years ago

One comeback wish:
Phelps vs. Lochte in the 100 back at a whatever Grand Prix meet. The deal is they both disqualify by going underwater much as they want Berkoff style. Go nuts and show us a time mano y mano.

bobo gigi
10 years ago

AND 13 YEARS LATER, I’M STILL WAITING FOR THE VIDEO OF THAT RACE! 😥

Sven
Reply to  bobo gigi
10 years ago

If Bobo can’t find video of something, it does not exist.

SoCalAdvRacer
10 years ago

This was a historic ‘race/meet’ but I believe it wasn’t “a meet that would ultimately land him on his first international team.” Wouldn’t Olympic Trials have been first meet to land him on an int’l team as he represented the US at the 2000 Olympics which I would imagine is considered an int’l team.

WeloveMP
Reply to  SoCalAdvRacer
10 years ago

yep, youngest male = man dat this article is talking about and NOT female = woman lol

WeloveMP
Reply to  WeloveMP
10 years ago

sorry, this reply to @ morrow3 🙂

morrow3
10 years ago

Youngest MALE – the women were 12

taken from your website
South African swimming legend Karen Muir passed away on Monday at the age of 60, local media outlet news24 is reporting, after losing a battle with breast cancer.

The 1980 inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame was part of a lost generation of South African athletes; she never competed at the Olympic Games during South Africa’s apartheid-induced banishment from the Olympics in the 60′s and 70′s.

Quietly, though, she became the youngest swimmer in history to break a World Record (and believed to be the youngest person in any sport to do the same in an official sense). When she was just 12 years, 10 months,… Read more »

About Christine Wixted

Hailing from the Mile High city of Denver, CO, Christine Wixted is a current senior at Duke University. Her swimming career started at the age of 12 and is soon coming to a close with only one semester of collegiate compeition left. Throughout her four years at Duke, she has …

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