American Olympic icon, Michael Phelps, participated in the Doha GOALS summit in Los Angeles this past weekend, where he joined 13 other world-class athletes in a global collaboration of sorts.
Doha GOALS, which is an abbreviation for ‘Gathering Of All Leaders in Sport’, assembles yearly with the purpose of creating partnerships and initiatives for global progress through sport. The four major themes the group tackled at this year’s forum included ‘building a movement through sport, the imperative for inclusion, sport’s power to create bridges across divides in our societies, and sport as a catalyst for transformation and change.’
While at the event, Phelps reiterated what drove his early career aspirations, as well as what keeps him driving forward. “As a kid I looked up to Jordan, because of what he did and how he changed the sport of basketball. That’s what I wanted to do in the sport of swimming. We’ve come a long way since 2000 and my first Olympic Games.”
Phelps answered questions from Ato Boldon, four-time Olympic medalist in track and field for Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the audience attending the meeting. When asked where he keeps his medals and whether he looks at them for motivation, Phelps responded, “I think there’s only one person, maybe a handful of people in this world who know where my medals are… I probably have only looked at them about once or twice all together because there are so many other things that I want to do, whether it’s in the pool or out of the pool. My goals are non-stop.”
Carrying on his theme of enjoying himself more this time since coming out of retirement to target his fifth Olympic appearance, Phelps echoes his new mantra of ‘fun’ saying, “Going into 2012, I felt like I had to finish there. I had to make it to 2012. Now, I’m just having fun.”
Phelps also spoke to the crowd about the sequence of events leading up to his actual comeback discussion with longtime coach Bob Bowman. “It was like 9:30, 10 o’clock at night one day and I called him [coach Bob Bowman]. I was like, ‘what do you think about me coming back?’ he was like, ‘call me in the morning.’ So I called him the next morning and he knew that I was for real. I got back to Baltimore and we had a meeting and he’s like, ‘we’re going to do this the right way.’ That’s the way we’ve been doing it. I’m in a much better place now than I probably have ever been in my career.”
An audience member probed into Phelps’ favorite Olympic memory, of which the now 30-year old Baltimore native replied, “The first [gold medal] was one of the coolest [the 400m individual medley at the Athens 2004 Olympics in world-record time]. Sort of never, ever forgetting exactly where my mom and I shared that first gold medal through a chain-link fence in Athens, Greece, because I was unable to get to my mom. So I passed it through this little chain-link fence.”
Remembering the thrilling 200m freestyle race in 2008 in Beijing, Phelps reflects, “I think 2008, probably 200m free. I look at that race, and today, still, and say that’s probably my best race I’ve ever swam in my life from start to finish. It was kind of over at 15 meters. I was in the best shape possible. My stroke was perfect. Everything about that race, to me, was the best.”
As a brand ambassador for the Special Olympics, Phelps took part in the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympic Games while in Los Angeles. Even with all of his individual success, Phelps can draw inspiration from the athletes walking out to their own championship events. “I stood right at the bottom of the tunnel and watched all the athletes come out. You could feel the energy that was coming out…It just sent chills up my body,” Phelps said.
Spectators attending U.S. Nationals beginning on August 6th in San Antonio may have chills of their own, with Phelps expected to swim a full schedule of events.
Well said Billabong. I think a lot depends on what a swimmer does while he/she is “retired.” As I understand it Mark Spitz did pretty much nothing, and I never heard that Janet Evans exercised vigorously during her time away. Both swimmers were very fast but pretty far from their previous bests. Dara Torres however stayed on top condition throughout her retirements, and it showed upon her return.
I agree with MIKEH, 30 for a swimmer is not old. I might even go so far as to say it could be a “peak” age for one’s best swimming (if approached correctly). Maybe a swimmer burns out mentally at the age of 30 but as a student of Exercise Science, I learned there is not much lost physically between the ages of 23 and 35, if–and this is the big if–one never gets too out of shape. I don’t think MP ever got too out of shape.
We will all know very soon where MP stands….I wish him the best and I personally am betting on 2016 performances from MP that will still be considered “magical” (to quote Rowdy… Read more »
This will be a good test case. Obviously a larger sample group would be preferable, but having the greatest swimmer push himself 100% at the age of 30/31 might well change our perception of where a top swimmer peaks on the age curve. Ian Thorpe’s attempt at a comeback conditioned us to think that 28 was well over the hill. Grant Hackett is about to show us that 35 is not too far over the hill in distance swimming, so if MP can nail it at 31, he will elongate many a swimmers career. I still think that he is past his best, but I’m happy to let new facts change my view. Let’s see what he can do.
Tom from Chicago those are interesting comments. In my view the difference between 23 and 30 is not that vast. In fact, as a very average Masters swimmer I did some of the best swimming of my life between the ages of 30-34. Phelps is not an NFL running back or an NBA player who takes repeated blows to the head or pounding in the hips and knees. There is really no reason why he can’t return to form, especially in the 100 races and perhaps the 200 IM.
I think going into 2012 he had been training hard for probably less than 18 months. I suspect in Bob Bowman’s program that simply isn’t enough time. Bowman’s programs utilizes… Read more »
I will always prefer the 2007 MP, because back then he did not have such a big advantage on competitors in terms of swimsuit.
What Tom from Chicago says makes sense, but … but … history tells us that “old” swimmers may swim PBs in their 30s, in short races at least, if they are really focused. Without no question, the 200 fly, the 200 free, the 400 IM and so on are the reign of the youth, as the combination of speed+endurance required at elite level can be matched only by the very young (there are a few outliers even there anyway). My point being, I think Phelps could still score PBs, or go near them, in the 100… Read more »
PS I mean, PBs in textile … no point in comparing times to the 2008/2009 super-suited years
Usually the PBs on later age come at the 50 races, rarely at the 100.. If Phelps gets close to his best 100 fly on 200 IM it would be awesome, breaking Ian 50,40 I find it unlikely now.. same for going a 47 low mid flat start.. (But that would also go of not expecting 5 6 guys on ANY country going sub-48 flat start)
True, but for him on the other hand the 100s are the short races, relative to his trademark races … however, you do have improvements in the 100s as well in later years… Federica Pellegrini recently swam a PB in the 100 free textile (and also in the 200 free, by the way); Femke Heemskerk did the same a few months back, I believe; Anthony Ervin must have swam his fastest 100 relay leg in Barcelona 2013 … and I could mention a few others.
About the meet next week, like many of you I don’t know at all what to expect from MP.
He says for several months that he trains very hard and has the best pratices since 2007/2008.
Either it’s true and we’ll see big time drops from his unrested Grand Prix times. World-class times which will give him a lot of confidence before the olympic year.
Or he just tried to convince himself and us by the way, that great performances are still ahead but nothing great happens in the water and we must admit that he’s 30 and at the top world level for 15 years now and that it’s not surprising to not be the same… Read more »
MP says his best race ever was the 200 free in Beijing.
In my opinion it was the 200 fly in Melbourne 2007.
And I continue to think his best shape ever was in 2007.
Tom From Chicago you are an idiot.
Agreed, Bob Bowman is too great a coach to allow for Phelps to miss the Olympic team or an Olympic final for that matter.
i would not be the least bit surprised if Phelps swims times that would place top 3 at worlds in both flys and 2IM. that will set him up nicely for 2016. is everyone forgetting the times he swam in march (yards) in a time trial? he was just finishing his rehab stint and nearing the completion of his suspension. those times would have been top 3 at NCAAs this year. that’s fast considering he didnt put “deposits in the bank” with his training much the months preceding it. i’m expecting some fast times come next week. book it!