ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES AT MESA
- Thursday, April 14 – Saturday, April 16, 2016
- Skyline Aquatic Center
- Mesa, Arizona (same as Pacific Daylight Time, GMT -7 hours)
- Prelims 9AM / Finals 5PM (12PM/8PM Eastern Standard Time)
- Psych Sheet
- Live Stream
- Live Results (link will be posted when available)
- Meet Central
On the day before the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series – Mesa meet begins in Arizona, Swimming’s biggest star Michael Phelps and his coach Bob Bowman sat down for a press conference.
In the interview, Phelps discusses his recovery process, the Under Armour commercial, and his training environment in Arizona.
Phelps also shared that he’s in the best shape he’s been in since 2007 and 2008, where he made history by winning 8 gold medals in Beijing – more than any athlete has ever won in a single Olympics.
He also says that he’s feeling things that he hasn’t felt in years, that in his warmup on Wednesday, he felt like he could really get into his stroke and get warmed up.
He also discusses how different the feeling is in Mesa than each of the last two years, each of which was a comeback meet for Phelps (once from retirement, once from his DUI suspension), and with being able to sleep in his own bed at night and relax.
Phelps is entered in just 3 races in Mesa, which is not far from his new home of Tempe: the 200 free, the 200 fly, and the 200 IM.
Edit: a better choice for Phelps’ Olympic schedule than the last one, for London2012, with 400im in the mix.
Paolo, I don’t hope MP will be crazy fast in Omaha. I hope he peaks one month later. Generally his coach knows what to do.
I just want to see him enough fast to qualify. But the full taper is planned for Rio.
In both fly events, even at 90% he easily qualifies. Same thing in the 200 IM.
For the rest, no time predictions at all from my part. I don’t expect anything great in Mesa. Last year he was average in season and he delivered in August.
I’m confident, but maybe because I’m a longtime MP fan, since 2001, I’m always a little bit worried too.
I wonder if, at 32, he can… Read more »
31, Bobo, not 32 for Phelps.
But yes, nobody at 31 years of age has ever targeted 3 individual events (and the 200 fly in the mix..) and 3 relays at Olympics.
Phelps has explored so many paths in the past and could explore also this one, finishing his career in a really extraordinary note but, I repeat, nothing is assured in swimming, even if you are the GOAT.
At trials we’ll have the real answer because at trials we’ll know if and how Phelps can manage 3 rounds of 200 fly, then 3 rounds of 200 im and finally 3 rounds of 100 fly. And he’ll likely swim also a round of both 100 and 200 free in… Read more »
Hi guys, it has been fantastic reading your ..dreams.., which are also mine, that’s sure (I began loving swimming watching Phelps’ performances at Worlds2003), but I know that reality is often far harder.
Phelps is tanned and slim, ok. He says he’s working hard, ok, and obviously all that is very important, but if he will be superfast in the water like in 2007-2008 is another story.
I hope so, but I know that nothing is granted in swimming.
Only at OT in Omaha we’ll have the response.
He was also 0.03s off the 100 back world record in 2007. Amazing.
I love hearing that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2007 was Michael’s best year in my opinion.
The year he has been the most impressive.
Of course his world championships in Melbourne with historical domination all week. The 200 fly and 200 free are performances for ages.
I think he would have won the 100 free at worlds that year if he had swum that event. Magnini and Hayden tied for gold in 48.43.
HIs rivals can start to worry a little bit. 🙂
He surely has colors from the Arizona weather .
I just CAN’t WAIT to see the G.O.A.T. back in his 2007 racing shape! Hopefully he’s able to show the world some fast times in Mesa – and then Rio, Rio, Rio – shaved and tapered. One last show by the man who changed the world of swimming!
Some of the times y’all are posting are ridiculous… Phelps is much older now and doesn’t preform at his peak in season, granted he has put up some extraordinary in season times this year, I think Phelps will go 1:47.5 in the 200m free, 1:55.9 or so in the 200 fly, and a 1:57.5 in the 200IM.
I do Believe that when phelps fully shaved and tapers he will approach some of the times posted here. My predictions for his 200 IM, 200Fly, 100Fly, AND 200 free (which I think he’ll swim) are as followed…
200IM: 1:53.75 WR
200 Fly: 1:51.X
100 Fly: 49.5 best case scenario new WR, worst case scenario 49.99
200 free: 1:43.75… Read more »