`` my daily journey. [#] `-
Light my path
7:59:00 pm
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Light my path
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9:34:00 pm
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Best of Beijing: The Michael Phelps Edition
1st gold medal--400 IM
2nd gold medal--4x100 relay
3rd gold medal--200 freestyle
4th gold medal--200 butterfly
5th gold medal--4x200 freestyle relay
6th gold medal--200 IM
7th gold medal--100 butterfly
8th gold medal--4x100 medley
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9:13:00 pm
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12:28:00 pm
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Light my path
10:30:00 pm
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2:02:00 pm
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BEIJING - AUGUST 13: (L-R) Ricky Berens, Peter Vanderkaay, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps of the United States celebrate finishing first in the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final held at the National Aquatics Center on Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
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11:41:00 am
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Sunday, 31 August 2008
“What’s so great about love?”
“What’s so great about not love?”
“You’ll never get your heart broken.”
“What’s so great about not love?”
“You’ll never get your heart broken.”
Light my path
7:59:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Friday, 29 August 2008
Acceptance is important,
Doesn’t everybody want it?
But there will be rejection,
And that’s how the world is...
-http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4478394/3/ANBU
Doesn’t everybody want it?
But there will be rejection,
And that’s how the world is...
-http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4478394/3/ANBU
Light my path
9:24:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
“For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.”
– Ivan Panin
– Ivan Panin
Light my path
11:40:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Sunday, 24 August 2008
I am ordinary. Here, I’m a plain dark haired girl nobody has noticed, nobody has spoken to and nobody has questioned.
I’m sitting in this bus with other people’s laughter, other people’s food, other people’s music and other people’s destinations.
- http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3805549/11/
I’m sitting in this bus with other people’s laughter, other people’s food, other people’s music and other people’s destinations.
- http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3805549/11/
Light my path
3:24:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
You’re quiet kid, aren’t you?
Hn.
You should talk more often. That’d be nice..
You’re aren’t much of a talker either Kakashi-sensei.
Well, us old folk are usually pensive.
Nice excuse.
Who said it was an excuse? You should smile more too.
That’s funny…coming from a guy who wears a mask.
I wear it because I’ve smiled so much in my life that it’s sort of permanent now—kind of a mood killer being a shinobi and all.
….
The joke’s funnier when you picture it in your head—trust me.
- http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4191269/7/
Hn.
You should talk more often. That’d be nice..
You’re aren’t much of a talker either Kakashi-sensei.
Well, us old folk are usually pensive.
Nice excuse.
Who said it was an excuse? You should smile more too.
That’s funny…coming from a guy who wears a mask.
I wear it because I’ve smiled so much in my life that it’s sort of permanent now—kind of a mood killer being a shinobi and all.
….
The joke’s funnier when you picture it in your head—trust me.
- http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4191269/7/
Light my path
2:06:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Saturday, 23 August 2008
UGH.
Totally shagged.
Reached home around 0230 in the morning. By that, I meant this morning. Tumbled into bed immediately after doing all the necessary before-bed rituals.
Jimmy was late 50 minutes late. Thank God that I wasn't waiting at Cineleisure all that time. By the time he reached, I was just about to cross the road to Cineleisure, so it all turned out pretty fine. And I even had time to buy Famous Amos cookies while waiting for him to come up from the car park.
We went to Tiong Bahru Plaza's Thai Express for dinner. He ordered Fried Kway Tiao and Soft Shell Crabs while I got the Thai Basil Chicken with Rice and Kangkong with Spicy Shrimp Paste, extra spicy.
In the end, I finished up the whole plate of kangkong because it was too spicy for him. Ugh. My poor tummy.
Ha.
Dinner was good and spicy.
After which we drove to some where near China Square and went to a place called W Winebar. And at there, for the next 2 hours, I was waiting and waiting. Waiting for Jimmy to settle his business. Felt pretty much out of my element at that place, in that kind of environment. Oh, the place is not bad, classy but not too posh. But, it is the people, I guess. Different kind of circles. You get what I mean, huh? So, I sat there, drank some champagne, ate some snacks and read the booklet I was given; all the while trying to appear relaxed and patient; not wanting to appear bored and make him feel obliged and in a hurry to finish things up and go. Not that I am inwardly screaming to get out of that place, but....it is kind of a grown up place? I feel like a 3yr old there. Like a 3 year old having no place in a pub or club.
Anyway, by the time we left, it was 1130pm. He suggested ice-cream and drove us to Esplanade, while I was asking, "Where are we going to get ice-cream at this time of the night?" He smirked and told me to wait and see. Ha. In the end..........when we got to Esplanade, the Hagen Daaz was almost closed.
Lol.
He was pretty disgruntled. But, come on. It was almost 12 in the morning, most shops would be closed!
Ya.
After wandering around for a bit, we settled for Harry's. He was in the mood for food so he ordered a chicken burger and iced water while I got garlic toast and a vodka lime. The garlic bread was alright. Not that warm, just a little warm, with the garlic spread, spreaded too thin so I could hardly taste the garlic. Jimmy didn't like his chicken burger nor his fries very much. Struggled to finish his food and gave up in the end, leaving 50% uneaten.
By then, I was fighting to keep from yawning right in front of him. Not polite, you know. People may think that you are yawning because the company is boring and not because you are weary from a few consecutive late nights.
I like going out with Jimmy and a few other friends because I don't have to make any decisions as to where to go or what to do. I leave everything to them. Of course, if I am not fine with the place they decided I will put my foot down. It is pretty nice, not to have to decide or fuss over where to go and what to do. I am pretty easygoing so it doesn't really matter where we go.
Hmm..so we ended the night at Harry's and went back after that. I am always cold when I go out with him. I think he is cold blooded. I mean, you are stick thin and your air-con temperature is 23 degree Celsius??! Aren't you cold? I guess he is not, huh. I am going to bring a jacket or a shawel everything I meet up with him.
So there.
Heh.
Was pretty surprised that he asked me out as I had thought he'd be busy with work and school. I don't know if his reason for asking me out was because he wanted some one to go with him to that sort of business meeting or because he was unhappy.
Didn't ask.
Oh well, it is great to meet up with him, he is good company. I don't think I helped much, alleviating his unhappiness. What can I do?
Ha.
Didn't want to pester too much or ask him out too often as he is busy and I don't really want to disturb him or add on to his frustrations. Some things are unspoken and better left unsaid.
Anyway, today will be a long day for me, I guess. I will be going out with Shuhui later for lunch and KTV but first, swinging by J8 to visit Carol.
It is cold in here. The bottom of my jeans are all wet.
Ugh.
Totally shagged.
Reached home around 0230 in the morning. By that, I meant this morning. Tumbled into bed immediately after doing all the necessary before-bed rituals.
Jimmy was late 50 minutes late. Thank God that I wasn't waiting at Cineleisure all that time. By the time he reached, I was just about to cross the road to Cineleisure, so it all turned out pretty fine. And I even had time to buy Famous Amos cookies while waiting for him to come up from the car park.
We went to Tiong Bahru Plaza's Thai Express for dinner. He ordered Fried Kway Tiao and Soft Shell Crabs while I got the Thai Basil Chicken with Rice and Kangkong with Spicy Shrimp Paste, extra spicy.
In the end, I finished up the whole plate of kangkong because it was too spicy for him. Ugh. My poor tummy.
Ha.
Dinner was good and spicy.
After which we drove to some where near China Square and went to a place called W Winebar. And at there, for the next 2 hours, I was waiting and waiting. Waiting for Jimmy to settle his business. Felt pretty much out of my element at that place, in that kind of environment. Oh, the place is not bad, classy but not too posh. But, it is the people, I guess. Different kind of circles. You get what I mean, huh? So, I sat there, drank some champagne, ate some snacks and read the booklet I was given; all the while trying to appear relaxed and patient; not wanting to appear bored and make him feel obliged and in a hurry to finish things up and go. Not that I am inwardly screaming to get out of that place, but....it is kind of a grown up place? I feel like a 3yr old there. Like a 3 year old having no place in a pub or club.
Anyway, by the time we left, it was 1130pm. He suggested ice-cream and drove us to Esplanade, while I was asking, "Where are we going to get ice-cream at this time of the night?" He smirked and told me to wait and see. Ha. In the end..........when we got to Esplanade, the Hagen Daaz was almost closed.
Lol.
He was pretty disgruntled. But, come on. It was almost 12 in the morning, most shops would be closed!
Ya.
After wandering around for a bit, we settled for Harry's. He was in the mood for food so he ordered a chicken burger and iced water while I got garlic toast and a vodka lime. The garlic bread was alright. Not that warm, just a little warm, with the garlic spread, spreaded too thin so I could hardly taste the garlic. Jimmy didn't like his chicken burger nor his fries very much. Struggled to finish his food and gave up in the end, leaving 50% uneaten.
By then, I was fighting to keep from yawning right in front of him. Not polite, you know. People may think that you are yawning because the company is boring and not because you are weary from a few consecutive late nights.
I like going out with Jimmy and a few other friends because I don't have to make any decisions as to where to go or what to do. I leave everything to them. Of course, if I am not fine with the place they decided I will put my foot down. It is pretty nice, not to have to decide or fuss over where to go and what to do. I am pretty easygoing so it doesn't really matter where we go.
Hmm..so we ended the night at Harry's and went back after that. I am always cold when I go out with him. I think he is cold blooded. I mean, you are stick thin and your air-con temperature is 23 degree Celsius??! Aren't you cold? I guess he is not, huh. I am going to bring a jacket or a shawel everything I meet up with him.
So there.
Heh.
Was pretty surprised that he asked me out as I had thought he'd be busy with work and school. I don't know if his reason for asking me out was because he wanted some one to go with him to that sort of business meeting or because he was unhappy.
Didn't ask.
Oh well, it is great to meet up with him, he is good company. I don't think I helped much, alleviating his unhappiness. What can I do?
Ha.
Didn't want to pester too much or ask him out too often as he is busy and I don't really want to disturb him or add on to his frustrations. Some things are unspoken and better left unsaid.
Anyway, today will be a long day for me, I guess. I will be going out with Shuhui later for lunch and KTV but first, swinging by J8 to visit Carol.
It is cold in here. The bottom of my jeans are all wet.
Ugh.
Light my path
8:17:00 am
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Light my path
9:54:00 am
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Where is everyone when you need them? Where are those who said, "Call me out anytime, I will be free!"?
Well, I think they must be where all the others are - in the land of I-Am-Busy-Go-Bother-Someone-Else.
Yah.
That must be it.
Am I the only one who seems to have too much time on my hands or some thing? That I have the SPARE TIME to go around asking people if they are free to meet up or do they want to go on holiday.
I feel stupid.
I shouldn't have bothered.
Well, I think they must be where all the others are - in the land of I-Am-Busy-Go-Bother-Someone-Else.
Yah.
That must be it.
Am I the only one who seems to have too much time on my hands or some thing? That I have the SPARE TIME to go around asking people if they are free to meet up or do they want to go on holiday.
I feel stupid.
I shouldn't have bothered.
Light my path
9:44:00 am
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Stop. Stop it.
Really.
Stop looking at me like that.
Stop thinking that you have me all figured out.
Stop assuming that you know what's on my mind.
Stop treating me like an errant child.
Your words are so careless.
And your actions are so cutting.
Stop it already, alright?
Just 'cause I'm silent doesn't means
That I am ok.
Stop running me down.
I excel at that without
This unnecessary help from you.
Stop thinking for me.
Stop speaking for me.
Stop presuming anything about me.
'Cause you know next to nothing about me.
If you think that you know me.
I have enough of your-know-it-all attitude.
Stop it with that belittling.
Just stop.
Stop.
Really.
Stop looking at me like that.
Stop thinking that you have me all figured out.
Stop assuming that you know what's on my mind.
Stop treating me like an errant child.
Your words are so careless.
And your actions are so cutting.
Stop it already, alright?
Just 'cause I'm silent doesn't means
That I am ok.
Stop running me down.
I excel at that without
This unnecessary help from you.
Stop thinking for me.
Stop speaking for me.
Stop presuming anything about me.
'Cause you know next to nothing about me.
If you think that you know me.
I have enough of your-know-it-all attitude.
Stop it with that belittling.
Just stop.
Stop.
Light my path
5:20:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
ARGH.
GAH.
Not coping well with the workload that is piling up from where I left off on Thursday. Been clearing the stuff but more are flowing in. I am now cringing whenever a subcon walks in my direction.
GAH.
GAH.
Not coping well with the workload that is piling up from where I left off on Thursday. Been clearing the stuff but more are flowing in. I am now cringing whenever a subcon walks in my direction.
GAH.
Light my path
8:08:00 am
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Sunday, 17 August 2008
The Greatest of All-time: Phelps Wins Eighth Gold
By Chris Chase
Michael Phelps capped the greatest Olympic performance in history this morning in Beijing, winning an eighth gold medal in a decisive American victory in the 4x100-meter medley relay. With the eighth gold, the 23-year old American eclipses Mark Spitz's record of seven set at the 1972 Munich Games.
It looked dicey until Phelps turned after his first 50 fly but, just as last night, Phelps left the field in his wake on the second. Jason Lezak held off world record holder Eamon Sullivan on the last 100.
Now that Phelps has delivered on the massive hype that accompanied his quest for history, it will be easy to overlook how remarkable his accomplishment was. Don't fall into that trap. Phelps swam 17 races in three disciplines at three different distances. He bested specialists who focused all their training toward one event. It's the most remarkable achievement in Olympic history. History will judge where Phelps belongs in the all-time athletic pantheon, but at this point it's not ridiculous to mention him in the same breath as Ruth, MJ and Tiger.
Also, important; don't forget about Jason Lezak. Without his remarkable anchor leg in the 4x100 freestyle relay -- the best swim I've ever seen -- and his excellent anchoring tonight, we'd be talking about Phelps having another stellar, but relatively disappointing, meet.
The biggest accomplishment for Phelps might not be the eight golds, or the seven world records or the $1 million bonus from Speedo. The greatest feat for Phelps was that, for one week, he turned everyone in America into a swim fan. People who couldn't tell you the breaststroke from the butterfly were hanging on each of his races, cheering on Phelps like they were lifelong fans.
Such is the nature of the Olympics, I suppose; people become fans of a sport that they won't care about again for another four years. But Phelps was different. He became a national phenomenon. He became a part of the conversation. America might not care about swimming until the next Olympics, but they won't soon forget Michael Phelps.
By Chris Chase
Michael Phelps capped the greatest Olympic performance in history this morning in Beijing, winning an eighth gold medal in a decisive American victory in the 4x100-meter medley relay. With the eighth gold, the 23-year old American eclipses Mark Spitz's record of seven set at the 1972 Munich Games.
It looked dicey until Phelps turned after his first 50 fly but, just as last night, Phelps left the field in his wake on the second. Jason Lezak held off world record holder Eamon Sullivan on the last 100.
Now that Phelps has delivered on the massive hype that accompanied his quest for history, it will be easy to overlook how remarkable his accomplishment was. Don't fall into that trap. Phelps swam 17 races in three disciplines at three different distances. He bested specialists who focused all their training toward one event. It's the most remarkable achievement in Olympic history. History will judge where Phelps belongs in the all-time athletic pantheon, but at this point it's not ridiculous to mention him in the same breath as Ruth, MJ and Tiger.
Also, important; don't forget about Jason Lezak. Without his remarkable anchor leg in the 4x100 freestyle relay -- the best swim I've ever seen -- and his excellent anchoring tonight, we'd be talking about Phelps having another stellar, but relatively disappointing, meet.
The biggest accomplishment for Phelps might not be the eight golds, or the seven world records or the $1 million bonus from Speedo. The greatest feat for Phelps was that, for one week, he turned everyone in America into a swim fan. People who couldn't tell you the breaststroke from the butterfly were hanging on each of his races, cheering on Phelps like they were lifelong fans.
Such is the nature of the Olympics, I suppose; people become fans of a sport that they won't care about again for another four years. But Phelps was different. He became a national phenomenon. He became a part of the conversation. America might not care about swimming until the next Olympics, but they won't soon forget Michael Phelps.
Light my path
9:58:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Swimming-Five Facts About Michael Phelps
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Five facts about American swimmer Michael Phelps who won his eighth gold medal in Beijing, an Olympic record for a single Games, on Sunday:
* Phelps comes from a broken home in Baltimore. His policeman father Fred and school teacher mother Debbie separated when he was only seven. Elder sister Whitney, also a swimmer, has written that she used the swimming pool as a refuge from the yelling.
* When he was 10, Phelps attended the 1996 Olympic Trials to support sister Whitney. She finished sixth in the 200m butterfly final and failed to make the team. The family cried in the stands. Whitney’s career was cut short by four herniated discs.
* In December 2004, Phelps was sentenced to 18 months probation after failing a drink driving test. A judge ordered him to abstain totally from alcohol and illegal drugs during his probation and attend a victim impact panel meeting sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
* When Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe said he did not think anyone could win eight races at a single Olympics, Phelps memorised the quote to motivate him for Beijing. He hung a poster of Ian Crocker above his bed after his team mate beat him at the 2003 world championships, to help motivate him for Athens.
* Phelps listens to hip hop and rap to help him get focused before a race, downloading tracks on his MP3 player. Among his favourites is American rapper Young Jeezy. (Compiled by Nigel Hunt, Editing by Keith Weir)
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Five facts about American swimmer Michael Phelps who won his eighth gold medal in Beijing, an Olympic record for a single Games, on Sunday:
* Phelps comes from a broken home in Baltimore. His policeman father Fred and school teacher mother Debbie separated when he was only seven. Elder sister Whitney, also a swimmer, has written that she used the swimming pool as a refuge from the yelling.
* When he was 10, Phelps attended the 1996 Olympic Trials to support sister Whitney. She finished sixth in the 200m butterfly final and failed to make the team. The family cried in the stands. Whitney’s career was cut short by four herniated discs.
* In December 2004, Phelps was sentenced to 18 months probation after failing a drink driving test. A judge ordered him to abstain totally from alcohol and illegal drugs during his probation and attend a victim impact panel meeting sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
* When Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe said he did not think anyone could win eight races at a single Olympics, Phelps memorised the quote to motivate him for Beijing. He hung a poster of Ian Crocker above his bed after his team mate beat him at the 2003 world championships, to help motivate him for Athens.
* Phelps listens to hip hop and rap to help him get focused before a race, downloading tracks on his MP3 player. Among his favourites is American rapper Young Jeezy. (Compiled by Nigel Hunt, Editing by Keith Weir)
Light my path
9:54:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
FACTBOX-Olympics-Swimming- Michael Phelps
Aug 17 (Reuters) - Factbox on swimmer Michael Phelps (U.S.) who won his eighth gold medal of the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 4x100m medley on Sunday, breaking the record for most in a single Games.
Age: 23 (date of birth: June 30, 1985)
Place of birth: Baltimore, United States
2008 Olympic results:
Eight gold medals (400m individual medley, 4x100m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4x200 freestyle relay, 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly, 4x100 medley relay)
Career achievements:
Seven gold medals at 2007 World Championships (200m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay and 4x200 freestyle relay)
Five gold medals at 2005 World Championships (200m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x200 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay)
Four gold medals at 2003 World Championships (200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x100 medley relay)
One gold medal at 2001 World Championships (200m butterfly)
Previous Olympic results:
Six gold medals at 2004 Olympics (100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x200 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay)
Two bronze medals at 2004 Olympics (200m freestyle, 4x100 freestyle relay)
Phelps is the most successful Olympian of all time with a career tally of 14 golds, five more than anyone else.
He broke fellow American Mark Spitz’s 1972 record of seven wins at a single Games after coming close to matching his mark at Athens four years ago when he collected six golds.
He has an unusual physique with a long torso and comparatively short legs, providing minimal resistance in the water.
His sister Whitney was a member of the U.S. World Championship team in 2005.
Aug 17 (Reuters) - Factbox on swimmer Michael Phelps (U.S.) who won his eighth gold medal of the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 4x100m medley on Sunday, breaking the record for most in a single Games.
Age: 23 (date of birth: June 30, 1985)
Place of birth: Baltimore, United States
2008 Olympic results:
Eight gold medals (400m individual medley, 4x100m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4x200 freestyle relay, 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly, 4x100 medley relay)
Career achievements:
Seven gold medals at 2007 World Championships (200m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay and 4x200 freestyle relay)
Five gold medals at 2005 World Championships (200m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x200 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay)
Four gold medals at 2003 World Championships (200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x100 medley relay)
One gold medal at 2001 World Championships (200m butterfly)
Previous Olympic results:
Six gold medals at 2004 Olympics (100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x200 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay)
Two bronze medals at 2004 Olympics (200m freestyle, 4x100 freestyle relay)
Phelps is the most successful Olympian of all time with a career tally of 14 golds, five more than anyone else.
He broke fellow American Mark Spitz’s 1972 record of seven wins at a single Games after coming close to matching his mark at Athens four years ago when he collected six golds.
He has an unusual physique with a long torso and comparatively short legs, providing minimal resistance in the water.
His sister Whitney was a member of the U.S. World Championship team in 2005.
Light my path
9:45:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Swimming- Michael Phelps vs Mark Spitz
Aug 17 (Reuters) - Following is a comparison between swimmer Michael Phelps, who broke the record for the most gold medals at a single Olympics on Sunday, and the previous record holder Mark Spitz:
- Both swimmers are American. Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and Spitz in Modesto, California.
- Phelps comes from a broken home. His policeman father Fred and school teacher mother Debbie separated when he was seven. Elder sister Whitney, also a swimmer, has written that she used the swimming pool as a refuge from the yelling.
Spitz was born in California but his family moved to Hawaii when he was two. There his father Arnold taught him how to swim. They returned to California when he was six.
- Phelps was 19 when he went to his first Olympics, the 2004 Games in Athens. He won six gold and two bronze medals.
Spitz was 18 when he went to his first Olympics, the 1968 Games in Mexico City. He had predicted he would win six golds but ended up with two (both in relays), one silver and one bronze.
- Phelps is 23 at his second Olympics in Beijing. He won eight golds and set seven world records.
Spitz was 22 for his second Olympics, the 1972 Games in Munich. He won seven gold medals, breaking the world record in each event.
- Phelps comfortably won six of his eight golds and nearly missed out on two. He edged out Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by 0.01 seconds in the 100m butterfly while the American 4x100m freestyle relay team finished ahead of France by just 0.08 seconds.
Spitz was not pushed so hard. His closest test in Munich came from fellow countryman Jerry Heidenreich who trailed him by 0.43 seconds in the 100m freestyle.
- Phelps is bigger, heavier and wider than Spitz at 1.93 metres tall (Spitz 1.85 metres), weighing 91 kg (79kg) and with an arm span of 2.01 metres (1.87 metres).
- Spitz was famous for his bushy moustache. Phelps and other male swimmers now shave their body hair to reduce drag.
- Marketing experts estimate Phelps will become the richest professional swimmer ever, far surpassing the money earned by Spitz. He reportedly earns about $5 million a year from endorsements and one brand strategist says that could rise to about $30 million in the short term.
Spitz endorsed a wide range of products including milk, hairdryers, watches and men’s underwear. Marketing experts say his appeal quickly waned, partly because he endorsed too many products. He still earned a reported $5 million, making him a pioneer of athletic endorsements. (Compiled by Nigel Hunt; editing by Robert Woodward)
Aug 17 (Reuters) - Following is a comparison between swimmer Michael Phelps, who broke the record for the most gold medals at a single Olympics on Sunday, and the previous record holder Mark Spitz:
- Both swimmers are American. Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and Spitz in Modesto, California.
- Phelps comes from a broken home. His policeman father Fred and school teacher mother Debbie separated when he was seven. Elder sister Whitney, also a swimmer, has written that she used the swimming pool as a refuge from the yelling.
Spitz was born in California but his family moved to Hawaii when he was two. There his father Arnold taught him how to swim. They returned to California when he was six.
- Phelps was 19 when he went to his first Olympics, the 2004 Games in Athens. He won six gold and two bronze medals.
Spitz was 18 when he went to his first Olympics, the 1968 Games in Mexico City. He had predicted he would win six golds but ended up with two (both in relays), one silver and one bronze.
- Phelps is 23 at his second Olympics in Beijing. He won eight golds and set seven world records.
Spitz was 22 for his second Olympics, the 1972 Games in Munich. He won seven gold medals, breaking the world record in each event.
- Phelps comfortably won six of his eight golds and nearly missed out on two. He edged out Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by 0.01 seconds in the 100m butterfly while the American 4x100m freestyle relay team finished ahead of France by just 0.08 seconds.
Spitz was not pushed so hard. His closest test in Munich came from fellow countryman Jerry Heidenreich who trailed him by 0.43 seconds in the 100m freestyle.
- Phelps is bigger, heavier and wider than Spitz at 1.93 metres tall (Spitz 1.85 metres), weighing 91 kg (79kg) and with an arm span of 2.01 metres (1.87 metres).
- Spitz was famous for his bushy moustache. Phelps and other male swimmers now shave their body hair to reduce drag.
- Marketing experts estimate Phelps will become the richest professional swimmer ever, far surpassing the money earned by Spitz. He reportedly earns about $5 million a year from endorsements and one brand strategist says that could rise to about $30 million in the short term.
Spitz endorsed a wide range of products including milk, hairdryers, watches and men’s underwear. Marketing experts say his appeal quickly waned, partly because he endorsed too many products. He still earned a reported $5 million, making him a pioneer of athletic endorsements. (Compiled by Nigel Hunt; editing by Robert Woodward)
Light my path
9:43:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Phelps' Home Town Giddy With Pride
In Towson Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, all eyes were glued to TV sets as Phelps stepped into the Olympic pool for his final swim of the Olympics, the third leg of the 4x100 metres medley relay.
“It’s great, it’s awesome,” said Joe Centineo, 24, of nearby Hampstead. “How often could you say you saw history being made?”
Hundreds of fans stayed in the stadium after a National Football League pre-season game between the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings to watch the race on giant screens.
They waved placards and chanted “USA, USA” as Jason Lezak, swimming the anchor leg, touched the wall to secure the win.
Cheers also erupted in the Greene Turtle sports bar in Towson as Phelps took the lead during his butterfly leg.
Phelps, 23, broke Mark Spitz’s 1972 record of seven golds at a single Games. He won six golds in Athens in 2004.
“I was in Germany when Mark Spitz won those seven gold medals, and I’d love Michael Phelps to top it,” said Karen Bartol, a financial writer from Chicago, and a former competitive swimmer, before Phelps’s final event.
“I think it’s an incredible feat for Phelps and I’m in awe of him,” said Bartol. “He has an incredible amount of endurance.”
Nearby, an auto repair shop boosted Phelps and fellow local hero swimming Katie Hoff with an illuminated sign saying, “Go Phelps and Hoff, we are proud of you champs.”
Phelps’s quest transfixed Americans. The 4x100 men’s freestyle relay, which gave Phelps his second gold, was viewed live by 81 million people while another 1.7 million saw the race via online video, NBC said.
In Miami Beach, Margarita Quiroz, a swimming pool cleaner originally from Colombia, said Phelps’s success made her feel proud to be an American.
“VERY NATIONALISTIC”
“It makes me feel very nationalistic sitting in front of the television,” she said. “I watch him every chance I get.”
Phelps’s success has helped some people forget high fuel prices and rising unemployment that have created difficult economic conditions for many Americans.
“The economy and gas prices are always on your mind but Michael’s success helps you forget depressing things (and gives you) something to hope for,” said Samantha Higgins, a homemaker in Los Angeles.
Even those unmoved by Phelps’s success recognize his value as a role model for American youth. “I don’t really care,” said Elizabeth Jambor, whose daughter was playing in a Miami skateboard park. “But I do think it’s great for these kids to have a really good role model instead of all this hip-hop crap they have.”
George Kennedy, who coaches swimming at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University, got to know Phelps when his team shared a training pool with the champion before the 2004 Games.
He said Phelps’s success has inspired the current generation of young swimmers at Johns Hopkins. “Each one of those kids wants to be the new Michael Phelps,” he said.
Kennedy, 53, said Phelps was never arrogant but had a “killer instinct” in the swimming pool. “He’s just better than everybody else,” he said. (Editing by Alan Elsner)
TOWSON, Maryland, Aug. 16 (Reuters) - As swimmer Michael Phelps made history winning his eighth Olympic medal in a single Olympics on Saturday, his home town erupted in joy.
Around the country, many other Americans said his success lifted the national mood in tough economic times.
Around the country, many other Americans said his success lifted the national mood in tough economic times.
In Towson Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, all eyes were glued to TV sets as Phelps stepped into the Olympic pool for his final swim of the Olympics, the third leg of the 4x100 metres medley relay.
“It’s great, it’s awesome,” said Joe Centineo, 24, of nearby Hampstead. “How often could you say you saw history being made?”
Hundreds of fans stayed in the stadium after a National Football League pre-season game between the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings to watch the race on giant screens.
They waved placards and chanted “USA, USA” as Jason Lezak, swimming the anchor leg, touched the wall to secure the win.
Cheers also erupted in the Greene Turtle sports bar in Towson as Phelps took the lead during his butterfly leg.
Phelps, 23, broke Mark Spitz’s 1972 record of seven golds at a single Games. He won six golds in Athens in 2004.
“I was in Germany when Mark Spitz won those seven gold medals, and I’d love Michael Phelps to top it,” said Karen Bartol, a financial writer from Chicago, and a former competitive swimmer, before Phelps’s final event.
“I think it’s an incredible feat for Phelps and I’m in awe of him,” said Bartol. “He has an incredible amount of endurance.”
Nearby, an auto repair shop boosted Phelps and fellow local hero swimming Katie Hoff with an illuminated sign saying, “Go Phelps and Hoff, we are proud of you champs.”
Phelps’s quest transfixed Americans. The 4x100 men’s freestyle relay, which gave Phelps his second gold, was viewed live by 81 million people while another 1.7 million saw the race via online video, NBC said.
In Miami Beach, Margarita Quiroz, a swimming pool cleaner originally from Colombia, said Phelps’s success made her feel proud to be an American.
“VERY NATIONALISTIC”
“It makes me feel very nationalistic sitting in front of the television,” she said. “I watch him every chance I get.”
Phelps’s success has helped some people forget high fuel prices and rising unemployment that have created difficult economic conditions for many Americans.
“The economy and gas prices are always on your mind but Michael’s success helps you forget depressing things (and gives you) something to hope for,” said Samantha Higgins, a homemaker in Los Angeles.
Even those unmoved by Phelps’s success recognize his value as a role model for American youth. “I don’t really care,” said Elizabeth Jambor, whose daughter was playing in a Miami skateboard park. “But I do think it’s great for these kids to have a really good role model instead of all this hip-hop crap they have.”
George Kennedy, who coaches swimming at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University, got to know Phelps when his team shared a training pool with the champion before the 2004 Games.
He said Phelps’s success has inspired the current generation of young swimmers at Johns Hopkins. “Each one of those kids wants to be the new Michael Phelps,” he said.
Kennedy, 53, said Phelps was never arrogant but had a “killer instinct” in the swimming pool. “He’s just better than everybody else,” he said. (Editing by Alan Elsner)
Light my path
9:34:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Best of Beijing: The Michael Phelps Edition
1st gold medal--400 IM
2nd gold medal--4x100 relay
3rd gold medal--200 freestyle
4th gold medal--200 butterfly
5th gold medal--4x200 freestyle relay
6th gold medal--200 IM
7th gold medal--100 butterfly
8th gold medal--4x100 medley
Light my path
9:13:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Phelps Makes History With Eighth Gold
BEIJING, (AFP) - Michael Phelps became the first competitor in the history of the Olympics to win eight gold medals at a single Games Sunday, surpassing the record set by fellow US swimmer Mark Spitz 36 years ago.
With the United States' world record-setting victory in the men's 4x100m medley relay, which closed the swimming competition at the Water Cube, Phelps broke the record Spitz set in Munich in 1972, and which was once thought to be unassailable.
"I wanted to do something no one else had done in sport. This goes hand-in-hand with my goal of changing the sport of swimming," added Phelps, who staked his claim to be considered not only the greatest swimmer but also the supreme Olympian.
"The greatest thing is proving nothing is impossible," Phelps said. "So many people said it couldn't be done, but all it takes is an imagination. That is something I have learned."
Phelps had opened the swimming competition with a victory in the first event, the 400m individual medley, and went on to win the 200m medley, 100m and 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle and both the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays.
Seven of his golds - including the first six - all came with world records, while his seventh, in the 100m butterfly, was by a margin of just one one-hundredth of a second.
"It has been from getting my hand on the wall and winning by one one-hundredth to doing my best times in every event," he said. "It has been nothing but an upward rollercoaster, and it has also been nothing but fun."
In Athens four years ago, Phelps won six gold medals (100m and 200m butterfly, 200 and 400m individual medley, 4x200m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay), and two bronze (200m free and 4x100m free relay).
His 14 career gold medals are the most of any Olympian, with his nearest rivals Spitz, athletes Carl Lewis and Paavo Nurmi and Gymnast Larysa Latynina - who all won nine in their careers.
At the age of 23, Phelps has set a record for the total number of medals won by a male Olympian with 16.
Russian gymnast Nikolai Andrianov with 15 - seven gold, five silver and three bronze in 1972, 1976 and 1980 - had held the mark.
Only Latynina's 18 career medals exceed Phelps's total.
BEIJING, (AFP) - Michael Phelps became the first competitor in the history of the Olympics to win eight gold medals at a single Games Sunday, surpassing the record set by fellow US swimmer Mark Spitz 36 years ago.
With the United States' world record-setting victory in the men's 4x100m medley relay, which closed the swimming competition at the Water Cube, Phelps broke the record Spitz set in Munich in 1972, and which was once thought to be unassailable.
"I wanted to do something no one else had done in sport. This goes hand-in-hand with my goal of changing the sport of swimming," added Phelps, who staked his claim to be considered not only the greatest swimmer but also the supreme Olympian.
"The greatest thing is proving nothing is impossible," Phelps said. "So many people said it couldn't be done, but all it takes is an imagination. That is something I have learned."
Phelps had opened the swimming competition with a victory in the first event, the 400m individual medley, and went on to win the 200m medley, 100m and 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle and both the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays.
Seven of his golds - including the first six - all came with world records, while his seventh, in the 100m butterfly, was by a margin of just one one-hundredth of a second.
"It has been from getting my hand on the wall and winning by one one-hundredth to doing my best times in every event," he said. "It has been nothing but an upward rollercoaster, and it has also been nothing but fun."
In Athens four years ago, Phelps won six gold medals (100m and 200m butterfly, 200 and 400m individual medley, 4x200m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay), and two bronze (200m free and 4x100m free relay).
His 14 career gold medals are the most of any Olympian, with his nearest rivals Spitz, athletes Carl Lewis and Paavo Nurmi and Gymnast Larysa Latynina - who all won nine in their careers.
At the age of 23, Phelps has set a record for the total number of medals won by a male Olympian with 16.
Russian gymnast Nikolai Andrianov with 15 - seven gold, five silver and three bronze in 1972, 1976 and 1980 - had held the mark.
Only Latynina's 18 career medals exceed Phelps's total.
Light my path
9:07:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
A Phelps Family Portrait, Tinged in Gold
By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
BEIJING – Michael Phelps started the climb up a set of stairs, parting a sea of photographers and reaching upward past a railing for the arms of three women. One by one, his mother Debbie and sisters Hillary and Whitney leaned over and clenched him tight. When it was over, he buried his face in his mother’s shoulder and cried.
At long last, number eight—shared with three of the most important people in his life.
Several grams of gold hanging around Phelps’ neck had finally lifted the cinder blocks of pressure and expectations from his shoulders. Twelve years of buildup, spun forward from the day Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman told Debbie of her 11 year-old son, “He has the potential for greatness.”
Olympic Games, gold medals, world records—Bowman looked at a gangly bundle of right angles and hyperactivity and saw the biggest things.
“I thought he was nuts,” Debbie remembered later. “I told Bob that he was crazy. He was telling me all this stuff, and all I could think was, ‘Bob, I’m raising a middle school child.’ ”
What Bowman couldn’t see at the time, and what no coach truly knows until far down the road, is that Phelps would be the perfect star surrounded by the right constellation of support. A little tight-knit universe that was on public display Sunday, when Phelps climbed into the stands and embraced the three women who have all contributed—in ways small and large—to his greatness.
Three women who helped the middle school child grow into a man, and on Sunday watched him realize more than anyone could have imagined. A planet built in six days was conquered by Phelps in nine, producing eight gold medals, seven world records and one titanic sigh of relief.
“When we train every day, sometimes there are sets or workouts that you don’t want to do, and Bob is always, ‘This is putting money in the bank, and at the end of the year you’re able to withdraw it.’ I made a big withdrawal,” Phelps said. “I guess I put a lot of money in the bank over the last four years and we withdrew pretty much every penny in the bank.”
But while the coach and star have made the biggest deposits, some of the small ones have been some of the most important.
Many from his mother Debbie, a middle school principal who went to the greatest lengths to keep his life normal when he was living under her roof, making it a point to ask him, “Are you happy? Should we be doing something different?” When Phelps moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., to train and also stretch his legs as an adult, Debbie grudgingly let him go. And when he would return to visit—hair too long, face too scruffy and hat tilted to one side—she bit her lip and let him find his own way.
“Michael is my son,” she said while describing those days, “and I will always love my son.”
And Phelps has returned that love in his own way as a young man, showcasing mettle over the last nine days that can only be found in the sturdiest of foundations. In a way, Debbie had raised her son for moments like these—raised him to be strong enough to accept the criticism and structure of Bowman, but also thoughtful enough to keep close to his heart the goals in his life and swimming career. Goals that Phelps would never openly reveal until Sunday, when he admitted, “They all happened this week.”
In some way, he owes part of this accomplished dream to his two older sisters—Hillary, the eldest and most laid-back, a swimmer who went on to star at the University of Richmond, and Whitney, the middle child who had her Olympic dreams cut short in the pool, but not before displaying the same fiery seed that eventually blossomed in Phelps. Phelps likes to say that Bowman was the one who taught him to dream the biggest dreams, but he does so in the wake of the women who came before him.
Which may be why his career arc is dotted with memories of his sisters, from Hillary taking “little Phelps” to the pool while she went through her own practices, to bounding around Whitney’s Olympic swimming trials in 1996, looking for autographs. He gets his cool from Hillary, who made friends fast and cherished the relationships she had outside the pool. And he gets his fire from Whitney, who at five years old punched her sister’s front tooth out after a shoving match.
Two women who have been there in the best of times, like Sunday, and the worst, like four years ago, when they witnessed a 16-year old boy taunting Phelps after his DWI arrest: “Hey Phelps! Go have a beer and get behind the wheel!” Hillary and Whitney wheeled around on the kid, their fists balled and eyes filled with lava. His only saving grace came from Phelps’ mother, who preferred to look it at like everything else: a lesson.
“The ups and downs, sometimes you have to have that,” Bowman said. “There will be bitter disappointments, and Michael dealt with those the best way he could. He handled it the right way. You just have to do that and have that support system around you. Michael has had that and he will always have that.”
And that was never more evident than Sunday, when Phelps stood on the medal podium for the last time at these Games, looked off into the distance at his mother and three sisters and finally let the emotion wash over him. Maybe that’s the last lesson he learned in all of this. Sometimes the best things in life aren’t accomplishing the impossible dreams or winning the most inconceivable races.
Sometimes it’s not about the gold medals you collect, but the people who you share them with.
BEIJING - AUGUST 17: Michael Phelps of the United States greets his family, sisters Whitney, Hilary and mother Debbie in the stands after receiving his gold medal in the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 17, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States team set a new world record with a time of 3:29:34.
By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
BEIJING – Michael Phelps started the climb up a set of stairs, parting a sea of photographers and reaching upward past a railing for the arms of three women. One by one, his mother Debbie and sisters Hillary and Whitney leaned over and clenched him tight. When it was over, he buried his face in his mother’s shoulder and cried.
At long last, number eight—shared with three of the most important people in his life.
Several grams of gold hanging around Phelps’ neck had finally lifted the cinder blocks of pressure and expectations from his shoulders. Twelve years of buildup, spun forward from the day Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman told Debbie of her 11 year-old son, “He has the potential for greatness.”
Olympic Games, gold medals, world records—Bowman looked at a gangly bundle of right angles and hyperactivity and saw the biggest things.
“I thought he was nuts,” Debbie remembered later. “I told Bob that he was crazy. He was telling me all this stuff, and all I could think was, ‘Bob, I’m raising a middle school child.’ ”
What Bowman couldn’t see at the time, and what no coach truly knows until far down the road, is that Phelps would be the perfect star surrounded by the right constellation of support. A little tight-knit universe that was on public display Sunday, when Phelps climbed into the stands and embraced the three women who have all contributed—in ways small and large—to his greatness.
Three women who helped the middle school child grow into a man, and on Sunday watched him realize more than anyone could have imagined. A planet built in six days was conquered by Phelps in nine, producing eight gold medals, seven world records and one titanic sigh of relief.
“When we train every day, sometimes there are sets or workouts that you don’t want to do, and Bob is always, ‘This is putting money in the bank, and at the end of the year you’re able to withdraw it.’ I made a big withdrawal,” Phelps said. “I guess I put a lot of money in the bank over the last four years and we withdrew pretty much every penny in the bank.”
But while the coach and star have made the biggest deposits, some of the small ones have been some of the most important.
Many from his mother Debbie, a middle school principal who went to the greatest lengths to keep his life normal when he was living under her roof, making it a point to ask him, “Are you happy? Should we be doing something different?” When Phelps moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., to train and also stretch his legs as an adult, Debbie grudgingly let him go. And when he would return to visit—hair too long, face too scruffy and hat tilted to one side—she bit her lip and let him find his own way.
“Michael is my son,” she said while describing those days, “and I will always love my son.”
And Phelps has returned that love in his own way as a young man, showcasing mettle over the last nine days that can only be found in the sturdiest of foundations. In a way, Debbie had raised her son for moments like these—raised him to be strong enough to accept the criticism and structure of Bowman, but also thoughtful enough to keep close to his heart the goals in his life and swimming career. Goals that Phelps would never openly reveal until Sunday, when he admitted, “They all happened this week.”
In some way, he owes part of this accomplished dream to his two older sisters—Hillary, the eldest and most laid-back, a swimmer who went on to star at the University of Richmond, and Whitney, the middle child who had her Olympic dreams cut short in the pool, but not before displaying the same fiery seed that eventually blossomed in Phelps. Phelps likes to say that Bowman was the one who taught him to dream the biggest dreams, but he does so in the wake of the women who came before him.
Which may be why his career arc is dotted with memories of his sisters, from Hillary taking “little Phelps” to the pool while she went through her own practices, to bounding around Whitney’s Olympic swimming trials in 1996, looking for autographs. He gets his cool from Hillary, who made friends fast and cherished the relationships she had outside the pool. And he gets his fire from Whitney, who at five years old punched her sister’s front tooth out after a shoving match.
Two women who have been there in the best of times, like Sunday, and the worst, like four years ago, when they witnessed a 16-year old boy taunting Phelps after his DWI arrest: “Hey Phelps! Go have a beer and get behind the wheel!” Hillary and Whitney wheeled around on the kid, their fists balled and eyes filled with lava. His only saving grace came from Phelps’ mother, who preferred to look it at like everything else: a lesson.
“The ups and downs, sometimes you have to have that,” Bowman said. “There will be bitter disappointments, and Michael dealt with those the best way he could. He handled it the right way. You just have to do that and have that support system around you. Michael has had that and he will always have that.”
And that was never more evident than Sunday, when Phelps stood on the medal podium for the last time at these Games, looked off into the distance at his mother and three sisters and finally let the emotion wash over him. Maybe that’s the last lesson he learned in all of this. Sometimes the best things in life aren’t accomplishing the impossible dreams or winning the most inconceivable races.
Sometimes it’s not about the gold medals you collect, but the people who you share them with.
BEIJING - AUGUST 17: Michael Phelps of the United States greets his family, sisters Whitney, Hilary and mother Debbie in the stands after receiving his gold medal in the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 17, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States team set a new world record with a time of 3:29:34.
Light my path
7:56:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Phelps Wins It all and Still Wants More
By Simon Evans
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Michael Phelps realised his dream of a record eighth gold medal at the Beijing Games on Sunday and said it was just the start of his bid to transform the sport.
“Everything was accomplished, doing all best times, winning every race, everything that we wanted to do here has been accomplished,” said Phelps after the United States won the men’s medley relay to ensure he eclipsed Mark Spitz’s record of seven golds in a single Games.
“I’ve dreamt a lot of things, written down a lot of goals and this was the biggest dream I have ever written down,” he added.
“This is a dream come true. You can imagine anything, to work towards it, through all the ups and downs, to accomplish everything you ever dreamed of, it’s fun, it feels pretty good.”
Phelps’s success at these Games has sparked the imagination of the American public with his races being shown on giant screens at baseball games and receiving huge media attention.
The swimmer says his aim now is to build on that increased profile and broaden swimming’s appeal.
“I heard about the announcement at Yankees Stadium, that if people are out to eat, the television is on and swimming is on. That’s good but this work is in progress and it is going to take some time to achieve.
“I don’t want this sport to be an every four year sport.
“We get the most attention every four years but in between there is not as much exposure for us as I would like.
“We swim each day of the year and there is no off-season in swimming, the only off-season is after every Olympics.
“I want to get people involved in the sport and to be aware of what we’re doing.
“In the upcoming years we will see it more and more. I really think it is going to happen,” he said, adding that he wanted the next generation to benefit from a higher profile sport.
“I hope they will have it easier than we did. Swimming has changed my life and allowed me to do so many things. I can’t imagine what it is going to be like in, say, 10 years. I’m excited to watch it change.”
Phelps said he is also considering putting himself to the test in some new events and although he didn’t specify which, the suggestion is likely to alarm the 100 freestylers who have so far avoided direct competition from the American.
“Over the next four years I would like to try some other events, events I haven’t tried yet, events I haven’t done here and they we will see what happens.
“Bob (coach Bowman) said he wants to start fresh and try new things we haven’t done before, try new training methods. It’s going to be a fun four years”.
Even though he doesn’t train specifically for the 100 freestyle, his time in the relay made him the third fastest man over that distance.
For now though Phelps says his thoughts have turned to more modest goals.
“It is time to take a little vacation. I’ve been looking forward to that for a long time.
“I’m looking forward to not doing anything, just sitting and not moving."
By Simon Evans
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Michael Phelps realised his dream of a record eighth gold medal at the Beijing Games on Sunday and said it was just the start of his bid to transform the sport.
“Everything was accomplished, doing all best times, winning every race, everything that we wanted to do here has been accomplished,” said Phelps after the United States won the men’s medley relay to ensure he eclipsed Mark Spitz’s record of seven golds in a single Games.
“I’ve dreamt a lot of things, written down a lot of goals and this was the biggest dream I have ever written down,” he added.
“This is a dream come true. You can imagine anything, to work towards it, through all the ups and downs, to accomplish everything you ever dreamed of, it’s fun, it feels pretty good.”
Phelps’s success at these Games has sparked the imagination of the American public with his races being shown on giant screens at baseball games and receiving huge media attention.
The swimmer says his aim now is to build on that increased profile and broaden swimming’s appeal.
“I heard about the announcement at Yankees Stadium, that if people are out to eat, the television is on and swimming is on. That’s good but this work is in progress and it is going to take some time to achieve.
“I don’t want this sport to be an every four year sport.
“We get the most attention every four years but in between there is not as much exposure for us as I would like.
“We swim each day of the year and there is no off-season in swimming, the only off-season is after every Olympics.
“I want to get people involved in the sport and to be aware of what we’re doing.
“In the upcoming years we will see it more and more. I really think it is going to happen,” he said, adding that he wanted the next generation to benefit from a higher profile sport.
“I hope they will have it easier than we did. Swimming has changed my life and allowed me to do so many things. I can’t imagine what it is going to be like in, say, 10 years. I’m excited to watch it change.”
Phelps said he is also considering putting himself to the test in some new events and although he didn’t specify which, the suggestion is likely to alarm the 100 freestylers who have so far avoided direct competition from the American.
“Over the next four years I would like to try some other events, events I haven’t tried yet, events I haven’t done here and they we will see what happens.
“Bob (coach Bowman) said he wants to start fresh and try new things we haven’t done before, try new training methods. It’s going to be a fun four years”.
Even though he doesn’t train specifically for the 100 freestyle, his time in the relay made him the third fastest man over that distance.
For now though Phelps says his thoughts have turned to more modest goals.
“It is time to take a little vacation. I’ve been looking forward to that for a long time.
“I’m looking forward to not doing anything, just sitting and not moving."
Light my path
4:52:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Single-minded Phelps Redefines His Sport
By Crispian Balmer
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Michael Phelps grew up face down in a swimming pool.
For day after day, year after year he practised in his club pool, building his strength, perfecting his technique and feeding his ambition to redefine the boundaries of his sport.
On Sunday all the hard work paid off when he won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, beating Mark Spitz’s 36-year record of seven golds for a single Games and earning himself a place in the pantheon of all-time sporting greats.
“He may be human, but he’s from a different planet,” Russian swimmer Alexander Sukhorukov said this week after the 23-year-old Phelps had moved one step closer to the landmark.
“A different galaxy,” he added.
Phelps’s coach Bob Bowman spotted his potential when he was an 11-year-old, telling his parents he had a golden future so long as he dedicated himself utterly to swimming.
Phelps bought into the dream and sacrificed any pretence of a normal life in his pursuit of glory.
Tobogganing or going bowling with friends was ruled out in case he injured himself, late night partying was a no-no and girlfriends were pushed to one side to make room for practice.
But Phelps has no regrets and instead revels in his exploits that have not only turned him into a millionaire but have also raised the profile of a sport that trails badly in the popularity stakes back home behind the likes of baseball and basketball.
“I am lucky to have the talent I have, the drive I have and that I’m excited about the sport. I am fortunate for every quality that I have, and I wouldn’t trade any of it in,” he said on Sunday after re-writing the history books.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Famed for his fierce focus and ferocious competitive spirit, Phelps is an obsessive who sets himself near impossible targets and then seems to exceed them.
Anyone who knew Phelps when he was a child in his hometown of Baltimore, must be shaking their heads in disbelief.
At his first swimming lesson he had a screaming fit, terrified of putting his face in the water, at school he had to take medicine to overcome an attention deficit disorder and at home he struggled to come to terms with his parents’ divorce.
Swimming came to the rescue, giving a structure to his day and allowing him to thrive in at least one area of his life.
Bowman became his coach when he was 11 and has charted the swimmer’s rise to the top, assuming the role of father figure along the way, teaching him how to drive and showing him how to knot his tie for his first school dance.
“I’ve been able to accomplish my lifetime dreams and goals. I always wanted to be an Olympic gold medallist, a professional athlete, a world-record holder and Bob has taken me to all of those,” a grateful Phelps said.
The achievements soon stacked up.
At 15 he became the youngest person to hold a world record and also the youngest male in 68 years to be selected for the U.S. Olympic swimming team—coming fifth in a race in Sydney.
He has now chalked up 25 individual world records against 26 for Spitz and has 14 career Olympic golds, five more than anyone else.
ROMANCE
Extraordinary in the water, Phelps has an ordinary, boy-next-door persona outside the pool.
He does nothing to hide his affection for his mother, Debbie, who follows him to all his meets. He loves hip-hop music, video games and watches DVDs endlessly while relaxing between races.
He has a gigantic appetite, eating industrial quantities of food to fuel his exertions, and relishes the company of friends, seeking camaraderie after the loneliness of the lanes.
He has been romantically attached to a few women but has never had a succession of glamorous girlfriends, like many sporting figures, and if he is seeing someone now he is keeping very quiet about it.
He takes his position as a role model extremely seriously and has slipped up only once, getting arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol a few months after the Athens Games for which he apologised profusely.
At 23 he is probably near the peak of is physical powers and is certainly a much more muscular, imposing figure than back in 2004. Nobody has suggested he is considering retiring after Beijing and it would be hard to imagine him leaving the pool.
Perhaps his biggest problem will be finding a serious rival to stir his competitive drive and push him to new heights. (Additional reporting by Derek Parr and Steve Keating; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
By Crispian Balmer
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Michael Phelps grew up face down in a swimming pool.
For day after day, year after year he practised in his club pool, building his strength, perfecting his technique and feeding his ambition to redefine the boundaries of his sport.
On Sunday all the hard work paid off when he won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, beating Mark Spitz’s 36-year record of seven golds for a single Games and earning himself a place in the pantheon of all-time sporting greats.
“He may be human, but he’s from a different planet,” Russian swimmer Alexander Sukhorukov said this week after the 23-year-old Phelps had moved one step closer to the landmark.
“A different galaxy,” he added.
Phelps’s coach Bob Bowman spotted his potential when he was an 11-year-old, telling his parents he had a golden future so long as he dedicated himself utterly to swimming.
Phelps bought into the dream and sacrificed any pretence of a normal life in his pursuit of glory.
Tobogganing or going bowling with friends was ruled out in case he injured himself, late night partying was a no-no and girlfriends were pushed to one side to make room for practice.
But Phelps has no regrets and instead revels in his exploits that have not only turned him into a millionaire but have also raised the profile of a sport that trails badly in the popularity stakes back home behind the likes of baseball and basketball.
“I am lucky to have the talent I have, the drive I have and that I’m excited about the sport. I am fortunate for every quality that I have, and I wouldn’t trade any of it in,” he said on Sunday after re-writing the history books.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Famed for his fierce focus and ferocious competitive spirit, Phelps is an obsessive who sets himself near impossible targets and then seems to exceed them.
Anyone who knew Phelps when he was a child in his hometown of Baltimore, must be shaking their heads in disbelief.
At his first swimming lesson he had a screaming fit, terrified of putting his face in the water, at school he had to take medicine to overcome an attention deficit disorder and at home he struggled to come to terms with his parents’ divorce.
Swimming came to the rescue, giving a structure to his day and allowing him to thrive in at least one area of his life.
Bowman became his coach when he was 11 and has charted the swimmer’s rise to the top, assuming the role of father figure along the way, teaching him how to drive and showing him how to knot his tie for his first school dance.
“I’ve been able to accomplish my lifetime dreams and goals. I always wanted to be an Olympic gold medallist, a professional athlete, a world-record holder and Bob has taken me to all of those,” a grateful Phelps said.
The achievements soon stacked up.
At 15 he became the youngest person to hold a world record and also the youngest male in 68 years to be selected for the U.S. Olympic swimming team—coming fifth in a race in Sydney.
He has now chalked up 25 individual world records against 26 for Spitz and has 14 career Olympic golds, five more than anyone else.
ROMANCE
Extraordinary in the water, Phelps has an ordinary, boy-next-door persona outside the pool.
He does nothing to hide his affection for his mother, Debbie, who follows him to all his meets. He loves hip-hop music, video games and watches DVDs endlessly while relaxing between races.
He has a gigantic appetite, eating industrial quantities of food to fuel his exertions, and relishes the company of friends, seeking camaraderie after the loneliness of the lanes.
He has been romantically attached to a few women but has never had a succession of glamorous girlfriends, like many sporting figures, and if he is seeing someone now he is keeping very quiet about it.
He takes his position as a role model extremely seriously and has slipped up only once, getting arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol a few months after the Athens Games for which he apologised profusely.
At 23 he is probably near the peak of is physical powers and is certainly a much more muscular, imposing figure than back in 2004. Nobody has suggested he is considering retiring after Beijing and it would be hard to imagine him leaving the pool.
Perhaps his biggest problem will be finding a serious rival to stir his competitive drive and push him to new heights. (Additional reporting by Derek Parr and Steve Keating; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
Light my path
4:45:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Phelps’ Teammates Bask in His Golden Olympic Glory
By BETH HARRIS, AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP)—Looming in the imposing shadow of Michael Phelps are his teammates, 16 swimmers without whose help in the relays he wouldn’t have won a historic eight Olympic gold medals.
Phelps especially needed Jason Lezak, who swam clutch anchor legs on both the 400-meter freestyle and 400 medley relays.
At 32, the old man of the U.S. men’s team beat Frenchman Alain Bernard to the wall in the first of three relays to preserve Phelps’ run at taking down Mark Spitz’s vaunted record of seven gold medals in a single games.
Lezak was called on again Sunday morning, with gold No. 8 on the line, to help the Americans finish off a relay sweep. Phelps gave Lezak the lead for the final two laps, and Lezak powered home in the second-fastest 100 split of the race.
“I was thinking not to blow the lead,” he said. “I was really nervous. I wanted to take it out strong and come home as strong as I could.”
Aaron Peirsol, the 100 backstroke champion in Beijing, led off and put the U.S. in first place. Brendan Hansen, going against double breaststroke gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, made it interesting with the U.S. falling behind Japan and Australia on his leg.
But Phelps picked him up, going 0.74 seconds faster than anyone else on his split to get the U.S. back in first. That set up Lezak to take on 100 free silver medalist Eamon Sullivan of Australia. He got within a half-body length of Lezek but that was all.
“Certainly it would have been something if we didn’t do it,” Peirsol said. “But it’s not like we were getting pressure to swim for Mike. We wanted to do this not just for Mike, but for ourselves.”
Phelps only competes in the finals, so he relied on his teammates to swim strongly enough in the preliminaries to qualify and secure a spot in coveted lane 4. No false starts, no illegal strokes.
They came through big time.
Matt Grevers, Mark Gangloff, Ian Crocker, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, Nathan Adrian, Ben Wildman-Tobriner, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, Peter Vanderkaay, David Walters, Erik Vendt and Klete Keller are leaving Beijing with gold medals, knowing they played a role in Phelps’ epic feat.
“For such an individual sport, we really know how to get together for those relays,” Peirsol said.
For all but Peirsol and Lochte, it was the only gold they got. Some of the supporting cast never got to swim the finals with Phelps. They did their duty in the evening prelims—when he was asleep back at the athletes’ village—and became his cheerleaders for the finals.
Unlike Spitz, who was known for playing mind games with his teammates, Phelps appears to be well-liked. Many of his teammates and competitors lauded him throughout the competition, even when he had beaten them badly in his individual races.
“Some of the greatest memories from meets like this are the times spent with teammates,” Phelps said. “There were a lot of rookies on the men’s team, some of them I didn’t really know as well as others. Playing spades, playing Risk, relaxing and getting to know everyone on the team, being part of Team USA and the Olympic team is one of the greatest memories I will take from this.”
By BETH HARRIS, AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP)—Looming in the imposing shadow of Michael Phelps are his teammates, 16 swimmers without whose help in the relays he wouldn’t have won a historic eight Olympic gold medals.
Phelps especially needed Jason Lezak, who swam clutch anchor legs on both the 400-meter freestyle and 400 medley relays.
At 32, the old man of the U.S. men’s team beat Frenchman Alain Bernard to the wall in the first of three relays to preserve Phelps’ run at taking down Mark Spitz’s vaunted record of seven gold medals in a single games.
Lezak was called on again Sunday morning, with gold No. 8 on the line, to help the Americans finish off a relay sweep. Phelps gave Lezak the lead for the final two laps, and Lezak powered home in the second-fastest 100 split of the race.
“I was thinking not to blow the lead,” he said. “I was really nervous. I wanted to take it out strong and come home as strong as I could.”
Aaron Peirsol, the 100 backstroke champion in Beijing, led off and put the U.S. in first place. Brendan Hansen, going against double breaststroke gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, made it interesting with the U.S. falling behind Japan and Australia on his leg.
But Phelps picked him up, going 0.74 seconds faster than anyone else on his split to get the U.S. back in first. That set up Lezak to take on 100 free silver medalist Eamon Sullivan of Australia. He got within a half-body length of Lezek but that was all.
“Certainly it would have been something if we didn’t do it,” Peirsol said. “But it’s not like we were getting pressure to swim for Mike. We wanted to do this not just for Mike, but for ourselves.”
Phelps only competes in the finals, so he relied on his teammates to swim strongly enough in the preliminaries to qualify and secure a spot in coveted lane 4. No false starts, no illegal strokes.
They came through big time.
Matt Grevers, Mark Gangloff, Ian Crocker, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, Nathan Adrian, Ben Wildman-Tobriner, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, Peter Vanderkaay, David Walters, Erik Vendt and Klete Keller are leaving Beijing with gold medals, knowing they played a role in Phelps’ epic feat.
“For such an individual sport, we really know how to get together for those relays,” Peirsol said.
For all but Peirsol and Lochte, it was the only gold they got. Some of the supporting cast never got to swim the finals with Phelps. They did their duty in the evening prelims—when he was asleep back at the athletes’ village—and became his cheerleaders for the finals.
Unlike Spitz, who was known for playing mind games with his teammates, Phelps appears to be well-liked. Many of his teammates and competitors lauded him throughout the competition, even when he had beaten them badly in his individual races.
“Some of the greatest memories from meets like this are the times spent with teammates,” Phelps said. “There were a lot of rookies on the men’s team, some of them I didn’t really know as well as others. Playing spades, playing Risk, relaxing and getting to know everyone on the team, being part of Team USA and the Olympic team is one of the greatest memories I will take from this.”
Light my path
4:36:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Olympic-Swimming- Phelps Says Looking Forward to Hugging Mum
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Glowing from his record-breaking eighth Olympic gold medal win, the world’s greatest swimmer just wants to give his mother a proper hug.
Michael Phelps, whose quest to beat Mark Spitz’s 36-year record of seven golds for a single Olympics has dominated the Beijing Games, said all he wants to do now is go home and relax.
“The first thing I’d like to do to my mum is just hug her. I’ve literally seen her for about 30 seconds this whole time,” said Phelps, whose weepy mother Debbie has been a fixture in the stands as he racked up medals this week.
“One of the things I really want to do is just lay in my own bed for 5 minutes and just relax,” Phelps said, after the United States won the men’s medley relay on Sunday and brought him his dream of a golden eight.
His medal round his neck, Phelps climbed up past photographers in the press seats after the race so he could reach up and kiss his mother and sisters in the stands above.
“She just said congratulations. And then she started crying, and I started crying and then my sister started crying. We haven’t really had too much time together,” Phelps said.
The 23-year-old’s breathtaking nine days of slicing through the Water Cube pool have earned him a $1 million bonus from sponsors and a place in the pantheon of all-time sporting greats.
But the swimmer, whose parents separated when he was young, admitted he is still a mummy’s boy. After a vacation with friends to celebrate, Debbie wants him to knuckle down and try out for the 2009 swimming championships in Rome.
“My mum’s told me I’d better make the team because she wants to go to Rome. So I’ve got the pressure from the mum,” he said.
Phelps told a news conference he was glad to have been tested around 40 times for doping before and during the Beijing Games.
Aside from his eight emotive podium moments, he said some of his best memories from the Games would be times behind the scenes, chatting and playing boardgames with teammates.
“Outside the pool, in the pool, on the medals podium, there are tonnes of memories I’ll have from this,” Phelps said.
“I’m thankful everything turned out pretty much perfect.” (editing by Alison Williams)
Michael Phelps of the United States goes to hug his mother Debbie, left, after the medal ceremony for men's 4x100-meter medley relay final during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008.
BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Glowing from his record-breaking eighth Olympic gold medal win, the world’s greatest swimmer just wants to give his mother a proper hug.
Michael Phelps, whose quest to beat Mark Spitz’s 36-year record of seven golds for a single Olympics has dominated the Beijing Games, said all he wants to do now is go home and relax.
“The first thing I’d like to do to my mum is just hug her. I’ve literally seen her for about 30 seconds this whole time,” said Phelps, whose weepy mother Debbie has been a fixture in the stands as he racked up medals this week.
“One of the things I really want to do is just lay in my own bed for 5 minutes and just relax,” Phelps said, after the United States won the men’s medley relay on Sunday and brought him his dream of a golden eight.
His medal round his neck, Phelps climbed up past photographers in the press seats after the race so he could reach up and kiss his mother and sisters in the stands above.
“She just said congratulations. And then she started crying, and I started crying and then my sister started crying. We haven’t really had too much time together,” Phelps said.
The 23-year-old’s breathtaking nine days of slicing through the Water Cube pool have earned him a $1 million bonus from sponsors and a place in the pantheon of all-time sporting greats.
But the swimmer, whose parents separated when he was young, admitted he is still a mummy’s boy. After a vacation with friends to celebrate, Debbie wants him to knuckle down and try out for the 2009 swimming championships in Rome.
“My mum’s told me I’d better make the team because she wants to go to Rome. So I’ve got the pressure from the mum,” he said.
Phelps told a news conference he was glad to have been tested around 40 times for doping before and during the Beijing Games.
Aside from his eight emotive podium moments, he said some of his best memories from the Games would be times behind the scenes, chatting and playing boardgames with teammates.
“Outside the pool, in the pool, on the medals podium, there are tonnes of memories I’ll have from this,” Phelps said.
“I’m thankful everything turned out pretty much perfect.” (editing by Alison Williams)
Michael Phelps of the United States goes to hug his mother Debbie, left, after the medal ceremony for men's 4x100-meter medley relay final during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008.
Light my path
4:20:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
US Team Wins 4 x 100 Medley, Phelps Wins 8th Gold Medal
BEIJING - AUGUST 17: Jason Lezak (in pool) of the United States reacts to winning the gold medal in the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay with teammates Aaron Piersol (C), Brendan Hansen (top L) and Michael Phelps (top R) at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 17, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States team won the gold medal with a new world record time of 3:29:34. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
BEIJING - AUGUST 17: Jason Lezak (in pool) of the United States reacts to winning the gold medal in the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay with teammates Aaron Piersol (C), Brendan Hansen (top L) and Michael Phelps (top R) at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 17, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States team won the gold medal with a new world record time of 3:29:34. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
BEIJING (AP)—Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal Sunday at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the victorious U.S. 400-meter medley relay team, breaking a tie with Mark Spitz for most golds in a single games.
Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps and Jason Lezak won in a world-record of 3:29.34.
Australia took the silver in 3:30.04.
Japan earned the bronze in 3:31.18.
Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps and Jason Lezak won in a world-record of 3:29.34.
Australia took the silver in 3:30.04.
Japan earned the bronze in 3:31.18.
BEIJING - AUGUST 17: (Clockwise from top L) Brendan Hansen, Aaron Piersol, Jason Lezak and Michael Phelps of the United States stand behind the block prior to swimming their way to the gold medal in the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 17, 2008 in Beijing, China. The United States team won the gold medal with a new world record time of 3:29:34. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Light my path
12:10:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Phelps Flies to Record-equalling Seventh Beijing Gold
by Rebecca Bryan
BEIJING (AFP) - Michael Phelps won a record-equalling seventh gold medal at the Beijing Games Saturday with a breathtaking victory in the men's 100m butterfly.
Phelps, seventh at the turn, snatched victory by one-hundredth of a second over a stunned Milorad Cavic of Serbia.
Even Phelps, who clocked 50.58, admitted he thought for a moment that Cavic had won.
"I actually did," Phelps said. "When I chopped the last stroke, I thought it cost me the race. But it was actually the opposite. If I had glided, I would have been way too long. I took short, faster strokes to try and get my hand on the wall. I ended up making the right decision."
After staring at the scoreboard, Phelps smacked the water and let out a roar of triumph.
"It was kind of a little bit of a delayed reaction."
Cavic, whose team protested the result and thought he should share the gold, said: "Losing by one-hundredth of a second is the most difficult thing to accept, especially in an Olympic final."
However, he was not in favor of the protest lodged on his behalf.
"If it's up to me, I would drop the protest," said Cavic, who was considering retirement less than two years ago. "I'm shocked, but I'm really happy. There is a gold medal at stake, but I came into this expecting bronze and I did one better and got silver and almost the gold.
"This is what the results showed on the electronic board."
Wittingly or not, Cavic had given Phelps extra fuel with his pre-race remark that it would be good for the American to lose.
As they lined up waiting for the start, Cavic faced Phelps defiantly across the blocks, but at the end it was Phelps who made the statement.
"There was no need to look over to try and see him, I saw his shadow coming in my goggles," Cavic said.
"When people say things like that it fires me up," Phelps said. "If anyone wants to make comments that's fine, I will always welcome them and I will give my response in the water."
Phelps admitted that the frame-by-frame replay left him even more astonished by his win.
"It almost looked too close to see," he said.
But Serbia's protest was denied.
Race referee Ben Ekumbo, of swimming's governing body FINA, said the finish was reviewed with the help of specialists from Omega electronic timing, and the one-two result was clear.
"I looked at the video footage from Omega, and it was very clear the Serbian swimmer had second behind Michael Phelps, one was stroking (Phelps) the other gliding," he said.
"According to our rules, we use an automatic system, and in this case the Omega system was in perfect order and perfect condition for this race," said the referee.
"After seeing the video I met with the Serbian officials and team leaders and offered them the chance to see the race for themselves after the competition.
"The Serbian team were satisfied and agreed and they had the chance to look at the video to be sure the decision is correct."
Phelps wasn't immediately aware of the protest, but said the clock was all that counted.
"All I can say is that I raced as hard as I could and swam my best. The scoreboard said I got my hand on the wall first."
With his seventh gold medal, Phelps matched the record that US swimmer Mark Spitz established with seven victories at the Munich Olympics in 1972, and will have a chance to break the mark when he swims the 4x100m medley relay on Sunday's final day of the swimming competition.
by Rebecca Bryan
BEIJING (AFP) - Michael Phelps won a record-equalling seventh gold medal at the Beijing Games Saturday with a breathtaking victory in the men's 100m butterfly.
Phelps, seventh at the turn, snatched victory by one-hundredth of a second over a stunned Milorad Cavic of Serbia.
Even Phelps, who clocked 50.58, admitted he thought for a moment that Cavic had won.
"I actually did," Phelps said. "When I chopped the last stroke, I thought it cost me the race. But it was actually the opposite. If I had glided, I would have been way too long. I took short, faster strokes to try and get my hand on the wall. I ended up making the right decision."
After staring at the scoreboard, Phelps smacked the water and let out a roar of triumph.
"It was kind of a little bit of a delayed reaction."
Cavic, whose team protested the result and thought he should share the gold, said: "Losing by one-hundredth of a second is the most difficult thing to accept, especially in an Olympic final."
However, he was not in favor of the protest lodged on his behalf.
"If it's up to me, I would drop the protest," said Cavic, who was considering retirement less than two years ago. "I'm shocked, but I'm really happy. There is a gold medal at stake, but I came into this expecting bronze and I did one better and got silver and almost the gold.
"This is what the results showed on the electronic board."
Wittingly or not, Cavic had given Phelps extra fuel with his pre-race remark that it would be good for the American to lose.
As they lined up waiting for the start, Cavic faced Phelps defiantly across the blocks, but at the end it was Phelps who made the statement.
"There was no need to look over to try and see him, I saw his shadow coming in my goggles," Cavic said.
"When people say things like that it fires me up," Phelps said. "If anyone wants to make comments that's fine, I will always welcome them and I will give my response in the water."
Phelps admitted that the frame-by-frame replay left him even more astonished by his win.
"It almost looked too close to see," he said.
But Serbia's protest was denied.
Race referee Ben Ekumbo, of swimming's governing body FINA, said the finish was reviewed with the help of specialists from Omega electronic timing, and the one-two result was clear.
"I looked at the video footage from Omega, and it was very clear the Serbian swimmer had second behind Michael Phelps, one was stroking (Phelps) the other gliding," he said.
"According to our rules, we use an automatic system, and in this case the Omega system was in perfect order and perfect condition for this race," said the referee.
"After seeing the video I met with the Serbian officials and team leaders and offered them the chance to see the race for themselves after the competition.
"The Serbian team were satisfied and agreed and they had the chance to look at the video to be sure the decision is correct."
Phelps wasn't immediately aware of the protest, but said the clock was all that counted.
"All I can say is that I raced as hard as I could and swam my best. The scoreboard said I got my hand on the wall first."
With his seventh gold medal, Phelps matched the record that US swimmer Mark Spitz established with seven victories at the Munich Olympics in 1972, and will have a chance to break the mark when he swims the 4x100m medley relay on Sunday's final day of the swimming competition.
Light my path
12:28:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Friday, 15 August 2008
Michael Phelps Wins 200IM and His 6th Gold
On Friday morning of 15 August 2008, US swimmer, Michael Phelps wins his 6th event - the 200 Individual Medley at a world record time of 1:54.23.
BEIJING - AUGUST 15: (L-R) Ryan Lochte of the United States, Michael Phelps of the United States and Thiago Pereira of Brazil dive into the water in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final at the National Aquatics Center on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
BEIJING - AUGUST 15: Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates his victory after the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final at the National Aquatics Center on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15, 2008 in Beijing, China. Phelps won in a new world record time of 1.54.23. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
United States' gold medal winner Michael Phelps, right, hugs his compatriot Ryan Lochte after the men's 200-meter individual medley final during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 15, 2008.
On Friday morning of 15 August 2008, US swimmer, Michael Phelps wins his 6th event - the 200 Individual Medley at a world record time of 1:54.23.
BEIJING - AUGUST 15: (L-R) Ryan Lochte of the United States, Michael Phelps of the United States and Thiago Pereira of Brazil dive into the water in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final at the National Aquatics Center on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
BEIJING - AUGUST 15: Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates his victory after the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final at the National Aquatics Center on Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 15, 2008 in Beijing, China. Phelps won in a new world record time of 1.54.23. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
United States' gold medal winner Michael Phelps, right, hugs his compatriot Ryan Lochte after the men's 200-meter individual medley final during the swimming competitions in the National Aquatics Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 15, 2008.
Light my path
12:17:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Michael Phelps Moves On to 200 IM Final in Beijing
BEIJING (AP)—Michael Phelps has advanced to the 200-meter individual medley final at the Beijing Olympics, setting himself up to win his sixth gold medal.
The American won his semifinal heat Thursday morning in 1 minute, 57.70 seconds. Phelps’ teammate and main rival, Ryan Lochte, won his heat in 1:57.69, making him the top qualifier, with Phelps second overall. They will swim the final Friday morning.
Phelps is 5-for-5 in his events so far, setting world records each time.
BEIJING - AUGUST 14: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Semifinal 1 held at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 6 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 14, 2008 in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps of the United States finished the race in first place in a time of 1:57.70.
BEIJING (AP)—Michael Phelps has advanced to the 200-meter individual medley final at the Beijing Olympics, setting himself up to win his sixth gold medal.
The American won his semifinal heat Thursday morning in 1 minute, 57.70 seconds. Phelps’ teammate and main rival, Ryan Lochte, won his heat in 1:57.69, making him the top qualifier, with Phelps second overall. They will swim the final Friday morning.
Phelps is 5-for-5 in his events so far, setting world records each time.
BEIJING - AUGUST 14: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Semifinal 1 held at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 6 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 14, 2008 in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps of the United States finished the race in first place in a time of 1:57.70.
Light my path
12:28:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
An Even Higher Bar for Phelps?
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008 By ALICE PARK / BEIJING
Gold medallist Michael Phelps, of the United States celebrates with South Korea's silver medallist Park Tae-hwan after the men's 200m freestyle swimming final on August 12.
As much media attention as Michael Phelps gets, there are certain things the world's best swimmer keeps to himself. He has never, for example, talked about his personal Olympic goals. Winning eight gold medals, he says over and over, is a quest that the media have concocted. Other than saying that he wants to win one gold medal coming out of the Games, nobody knows what kind of meet in Beijing would make him happy. His goals are between and U.S. coach Bob Bowman and himself.
Well, the secret might be out. Phelps collected his third win in the Water Cube in the 200m freestyle on Aug. 12 — and his third world record. "Being in lane six, I was out of the middle of the pool. I knew that if I jumped first, the guys in the middle of the pool wouldn't be able to see me, and by the time they did, hopefully I had enough ground where I could hold them off," he said of his record-breaking win.
Could he and Bowman have set an astoundingly high bar of not only winning eight gold medals, but of earning eight new world records in the process? With any other swimmer, the very thought would be ridiculous. But with Phelps ...
Of course, Phelps won't admit to it. But if you're as gifted as he is in the water, and you shrug off world records as easily as a coat, no mere clocks will keep you feeling challenged — you need something to motivate you. Setting eight new marks in a single meet might do it — Phelps has already broken five world records in a meet at last year's World championships. What's three more? Next up are the 200m butterfly, in which he owns eight of the top 10 performances ever, and the 4x200m freestyle relay, in which the U.S. are the defending Olympic champions. Should be a dip in the pool.
And it's not like Phelps is basking in the golden glow alone. The U.S. swim team's stash of 15 medals is five more than they had earned in the same events in Athens — including two more golds, both of which belong to Phelps. Minutes after Phelps destroyed the world record in the 200m freestyle, Natalie Coughlin made history by being the first woman to defend the 100m backstroke at the Olympics. Aaron Peirsol held on to his Olympic champion title in the 100m backstroke by setting a new world record, and Olympic newcomer Rebecca Soni, a last minute substitute in the 100m breaststroke after teammate Jessica Hardy was pulled off for a doping violation, collected an unexpected silver. "It's great to see others getting involved, especially when everyone is so competitive," says Mark Schubert, head national team coach. Even if Phelps isn't willing to bare his soul, at least he seems willing to share in his speed.
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008 By ALICE PARK / BEIJING
Gold medallist Michael Phelps, of the United States celebrates with South Korea's silver medallist Park Tae-hwan after the men's 200m freestyle swimming final on August 12.
As much media attention as Michael Phelps gets, there are certain things the world's best swimmer keeps to himself. He has never, for example, talked about his personal Olympic goals. Winning eight gold medals, he says over and over, is a quest that the media have concocted. Other than saying that he wants to win one gold medal coming out of the Games, nobody knows what kind of meet in Beijing would make him happy. His goals are between and U.S. coach Bob Bowman and himself.
Well, the secret might be out. Phelps collected his third win in the Water Cube in the 200m freestyle on Aug. 12 — and his third world record. "Being in lane six, I was out of the middle of the pool. I knew that if I jumped first, the guys in the middle of the pool wouldn't be able to see me, and by the time they did, hopefully I had enough ground where I could hold them off," he said of his record-breaking win.
Could he and Bowman have set an astoundingly high bar of not only winning eight gold medals, but of earning eight new world records in the process? With any other swimmer, the very thought would be ridiculous. But with Phelps ...
Of course, Phelps won't admit to it. But if you're as gifted as he is in the water, and you shrug off world records as easily as a coat, no mere clocks will keep you feeling challenged — you need something to motivate you. Setting eight new marks in a single meet might do it — Phelps has already broken five world records in a meet at last year's World championships. What's three more? Next up are the 200m butterfly, in which he owns eight of the top 10 performances ever, and the 4x200m freestyle relay, in which the U.S. are the defending Olympic champions. Should be a dip in the pool.
And it's not like Phelps is basking in the golden glow alone. The U.S. swim team's stash of 15 medals is five more than they had earned in the same events in Athens — including two more golds, both of which belong to Phelps. Minutes after Phelps destroyed the world record in the 200m freestyle, Natalie Coughlin made history by being the first woman to defend the 100m backstroke at the Olympics. Aaron Peirsol held on to his Olympic champion title in the 100m backstroke by setting a new world record, and Olympic newcomer Rebecca Soni, a last minute substitute in the 100m breaststroke after teammate Jessica Hardy was pulled off for a doping violation, collected an unexpected silver. "It's great to see others getting involved, especially when everyone is so competitive," says Mark Schubert, head national team coach. Even if Phelps isn't willing to bare his soul, at least he seems willing to share in his speed.
Light my path
10:30:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Michael Phelps of the United States Competes in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Heat 6
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Heat 6 held at the National Aquatics Center on Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Light my path
9:52:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Oh boy...
This is not good.
Am starting to have a fever. Plus that sore throat.
This is bad.
This is not good.
Am starting to have a fever. Plus that sore throat.
This is bad.
Light my path
2:02:00 pm
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Swimming - U.S. Wins 4x200m relay, 11th Gold for Phelps
BEIJING, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The United States won the men’s swimming 4x200m freestyle relay in world record time on Wednesday, earning Michael Phelps his 11th Olympic gold medal.
Russia won the silver and Australia the bronze. (Editing by Miles Evans)
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: (L-R) Ricky Berens, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps of the United States shout encouragement to Peter Vanderkaay of the United States in the Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final held at the National Aquatics Center on Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)BEIJING, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The United States won the men’s swimming 4x200m freestyle relay in world record time on Wednesday, earning Michael Phelps his 11th Olympic gold medal.
Russia won the silver and Australia the bronze. (Editing by Miles Evans)
Light my path
11:41:00 am
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
Phelps Wins 200m Butterfly, Sets Medal Record
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: Michael Phelps of the United States poses with the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Men's 200m Butterfly held at the National Aquatics Center on Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps of the United States finished the race in a time of 1.52.49 a new World Record. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the Men's 200m Butterfly Final competes in the swimming event at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps of the United States finished the race in a time of 1.52.49a new World Record. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Olympics Gallery BEIJING (Reuters) - American swimmer Michael Phelps became the most successful Olympian of all time when he won his 10th gold medal with victory in the men’s swimming 200m butterfly on Wednesday (13 Aug 2008).
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: Michael Phelps of the United States poses with the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Men's 200m Butterfly held at the National Aquatics Center on Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps of the United States finished the race in a time of 1.52.49 a new World Record. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
US swimmer Michael Phelps dives off the blocks during the men's 200m butterfly swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 13, 2008. Phelps won in a world record time of 1:52.03. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the Men's 200m Butterfly Final competes in the swimming event at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps of the United States finished the race in a time of 1.52.49a new World Record. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
US swimmer Michael Phelps swims to win the men's 200m butterfly swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 13, 2008. Phelps became the greatest Olympian in history Wednesday, winning the 200m butterfly gold in a world record time of 1min 52.03sec to claim the 10th gold medal of his Games career. AFP PHOTO / DDP / MICHAEL KAPPELER (Photo credit should read MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images)
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the Men's 200m Butterfly Final held at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 5 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 13, 2008 in Beijing, China. Michael Phelps of the United States finished the race in a time of 1.52.49 a new World Record. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Olympics Gallery BEIJING (Reuters) - American swimmer Michael Phelps became the most successful Olympian of all time when he won his 10th gold medal with victory in the men’s swimming 200m butterfly on Wednesday (13 Aug 2008).
US swimmer Michael Phelps prepares to swim during the men's 200m butterfly swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 13, 2008. Phelps won in a world record time of 1:52.03. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY CLARY
Light my path
10:35:00 am
youdrovemydarknessaway`-//*
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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
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Matthew 11:28-30
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