Published back in 2005, this behind-the-scene swimming documentary was the first of its kind.
Michael Phelps was the Baltimore swimming prodigy who never missed a day of practice for nearly five years. Coming off of his eight Olympic medals from the 2004 Athens Olympics, he was a swim star, but not the icon we know today.
Ian Crocker was the quiet-type, a soft-spoken artist who struggled with competition from the standpoint of beating other people. Ian loved to win, but his drive was different, almost gentle compared to Phelp’s fierce mindset. Interestingly, Ian has, to this day, the fastest textile-suit 100 meter butterfly.
If you have not seen this documentary film, it is definitely worth a look.
From the editor of Unfiltered:
My role on this project was documentary editor. Worked with a great team and storytellers. A fun project for me. When working the opening sequence, I wanted to portray a sense of loneliness and pressure to perform – the same feeling you have getting up day after day to train. Something I understood as a younger competitive swimmer.
why do they wear shoes when they’re walking on deck? i can’t say i’ve been in their position but i’ve never felt the need to wear shoes at any swim meet
It’s not uncommon. Better traction, less likely to slip. Arguably uses up less energy in your legs than flip-flops, which use a surprising amount of foot strength to keep on.
so they’re worried about breaking their taper because they walked too hard?
i know that it comes down to tens and hundredths but i really think tiring your feet out by walking is not going to cost you the gold
I mean, you’ve disagreed with my reason for why they would wear shoes. Give me the competitive benefits of wearing flipflops, and you’ll have proven your point.
As I said, there’s also some risk of injury, twisting your ankle on a wet pool deck. More comfort. Staying more relaxed by being more confident in your footwear and that you won’t be slipping. This isn’t summer league, it’s the Olympics. There’s a lot of money on the line.
Look around on a pool deck at a major meet and see how many of the top swimmers are wearing shoes versus flip flops. Maybe you know something they don’t, and they should all be barefoot, but something tells me “not”.
Ever tried to kick fast with cold toes or cold feet? It sucks. You want your body and appendages to be warm before you swim. I tell my athletes all the time to put clothes on at swim meets, especially on their feet.
Yeah swimming with (literally) cold feet is no fun, and I always found that whenever my feet were cold the rest of my body would get cold and tight as well
Is there any place to rent or stream this film online?
Where can this DVD be purchased?
Well, everyone can’t be extraordinary. He was a good athlete that made a team. Phelps’ favorite athlete is the one and only His Airness. They took a recent photo together because they’re both extraordinary! They had that killer mindset the others lacked. If you need a suit to be fast that explains why he’s forgotten.
yea, I’ve watched this on youtube a few times through the years. there are some great clips from a ton fo documentaries about phelps….too bad we can’t find the entire documentary. The producers/editors should re-release them. guaranteed it would receive just as much hype as touch the wall (which I’m SOOOOO excited about…been excited since before the olympics when I first saw the trailer!!)
World championships final 2003
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld_JwUrYJgk
Olympic games final 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqR6YiyDdec
World championships final 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYDGpB81FRU
World championships final 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym_ks0aHkCE
Olympic games final 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KLy-NnTD2o
I think that early dive in 2007 medley relay really broke Crocker’s spirit.
I’ve been looking for this video for quite some time. When it was available on Swimroom.com or wherever it was, they weren’t selling it outside USA. You can’t download it from anywhere and it’s not on YouTube. So I’m not sure where to look for it.
I have this dvd since i think 2006 and love it! Great to see a little more of where they came from, their dedication & of course the fun they have.
If you have the change to pick it up somewhere, this dutch girl says do it!