Michael Phelps

[fjl]

Hey, he broke the world Record. That certainly deserves him his own thread, right? 

He's the man and will obviously be a common name up there with other athletic greats like Pele, Magic, Jordan, Muhammad Ali and others. I'm sure he will have lines of girls waiting for him when he returns to his hometown. Congrats to Michael!

Go USA!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26242514/

[mccoy178]

He was impressive.  I would consider that Jamaican guy that started celebrating before the 100 was over very impressive as well.  I have never seen anything like that.  Both of them put on super human performances.

[AtomSmasher]

... and we like to think money and fame trumps everything?

Peter Gibbons: What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Lawrence: I'll tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.
Peter Gibbons: That's it? If you had a million dollars, you'd do two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Damn straight. I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money.
Peter Gibbons: Well, not all chicks.
Lawrence: Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.
Peter Gibbons: Good point.

[boykster]

I would consider that Jamaican guy that started celebrating before the 100 was over very impressive as well.  I have never seen anything like that. 

Totally agree man....that was an incredible performance.  He set a new world record, easily won the gold medal, and he pulled up at LEAST 15 meters before the end of the race.  Possibly 20 meters.  And the 100 isn't even his event.

Oh, and Phelps, yep, pretty incredible on the medal haul.  Ugly and goofy looking as sin, but an impressive athlete.  I watched the replay on the 100m butterfly finish (7th medal) at least a dozen times and I still can't believe he out touched that other guy - even though I watched it and saw it with my own eyes.  That, and the 1st relay finish were amazing.

[Blanka]

Am I the only one thinking 2 olympics in a row winning the 100m freestyle is more impressive? Very sad Hoogie did not pull out number 3:(
Or our Anky, being on the medal stand 5 olympics in a row. At least she has a nice and very genuine horse-smile. I don't like Phelps' russian/east-germany-anabole face (although I kind of like the cartoonish over-the-top looks of the French guy who won the 100 freestyle, he's straight from Frankenstein!).
Or just watch the giggling 4 girls who won the 4x100. That is everything but serious focussed athletes if you look at them

[fjl]

I'm sure he will have lines of girls waiting for him when he returns to his hometown.

That's about the 10,000th time I've heard that comment in the past week - why does everyone feel the need to keep making it?  Because Phelps is ugly as sin and dumb as a post and we like to think money and fame trumps everything?

Umm... YES! Women are very materialistic. Michael Phelps could look like Quasimodo and have the smarts of a dumb chimp, but just because of his Olympic fame, you can bet all the women are going to be over him like flies on stink. And being a bachelor will only add to the effect.

I know less about women than anyone, but even I know about a man's fame and fortune effect on women.

[DaOld Man]

... and we like to think money and fame trumps everything?

Peter Gibbons: What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Lawrence: I'll tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.
Peter Gibbons: That's it? If you had a million dollars, you'd do two chicks at the same time?
Lawrence: Damn straight. I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money.
Peter Gibbons: Well, not all chicks.
Lawrence: Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.
Peter Gibbons: Good point.

I loved that movie!

[myntik1]

I can appreciate what Phelps has done but I'm doubting these Olympics as a whole.  You don't break world records by seconds, you break them by hundreths or thousandeths of seconds.  Someone needs to check the distances and measurements of the pool and the track.  I'm not accussing anyone of juicing, but when i guy can break that many records and so many different events it has to raise a red flag.  How does someone shatter a world record in the 100 and take the last 6th or 7th of the race off.

[ChadTower]

Totally agree man....that was an incredible performance.  He set a new world record, easily won the gold medal, and he pulled up at LEAST 15 meters before the end of the race.  Possibly 20 meters.

Doesn't that make him dumb as a rock too?  He had a chance to set a WR that might last a long time and instead celebrated rather than just wait 5 seconds.

[WunderCade]

NBC did a whole segment on Phelp's body - head to toe, apparently he is built just right to be an aquatic marvel.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJIHpMRQZHw[/youtube]

[shardian]

NBC did a whole segment on Phelp's body - head to toe, apparently he is built just right to be an aquatic marvel.

I had to turn that vid off after a few seconds - Just way too gay for a man to watch.

[fjl]

lol. I saw that vid on NBC's website. I didn't think it was gay. But then I've been around gay guys enough to be comfortable and that my masculinity or heterosexuality is not being questioned.

 

[shardian]

lol. I saw that vid on NBC's website. I didn't think it was gay. But then I've been around gay guys enough to be comfortable and that my masculinity or heterosexuality is not being questioned.

 

Well to put things in perspective, I don't have speakers on my work PC. Try checking out the vid without sound and see if your opinion changes.

[WunderCade]

Well, getting back to the girls flocking all over him argument. If I had hands like dinner platters and double jointed hips...I be working towards a gold metal in a different sport. 

[ChadTower]

He's a famous multimillionaire.  Doesn't matter what he looks like, women will line up 50 deep for a shot at him.

[protokatie]

Mr Phelp's come-on line:

"Hey Baby, how would you like to have a million of me swimming inside of you?"

[polaris]

Totally agree man....that was an incredible performance.  He set a new world record, easily won the gold medal, and he pulled up at LEAST 15 meters before the end of the race.  Possibly 20 meters.

Doesn't that make him dumb as a rock too?  He had a chance to set a WR that might last a long time and instead celebrated rather than just wait 5 seconds.

think of it as a business plan. he got the gold and from it he'll earn plenty at athletics meets, at his next major comp he'll go for his record, get more publicity and increase his 'meet' fee again, as long as he looks like he can go faster he'll be very marketable cos people will go hoping to see him set a record.

[boykster]

Totally agree man....that was an incredible performance.  He set a new world record, easily won the gold medal, and he pulled up at LEAST 15 meters before the end of the race.  Possibly 20 meters.

Doesn't that make him dumb as a rock too?  He had a chance to set a WR that might last a long time and instead celebrated rather than just wait 5 seconds.

Maybe, or as others have stated, maybe not.  He's young - just 21 - and will be running in international events for many more years.  If he can turn in that kind of time with that kind of attitude, he's going to be a big draw.

You gotta admit, Jamaica came to this olympics ready to show the world that they have world class sprinters....

[fjl]

I think they said he was 23 or was it 24? But he already said that London 2012 will be his last Olympics cause he said he doesn't want to be competing after reaching 30.

[danny_galaga]

phelps is a machine! that dude sure knows how to swim. anyone would think he was australian 

[Ed_McCarron]

phelps is a machine! that dude sure knows how to swim. anyone would think he was australian 

Why?  Someone in Australia's distant past mate with a platypus?

[shardian]

Why?  Someone in Australia's distant past mate with a platypus?

You've never heard of Thorpedo? 

[WunderCade]

Ian Thorpedo was there in the swimming cube watching Micheal get his 8th GOLD. He didn't look too enthused for some reason.

[shardian]

Ian Thorpedo was there in the swimming cube watching Micheal get his 8th GOLD. He didn't look too enthused for some reason.

Probably because he whipped Phelps ass 4 years ago, and the records are falling due to better/deeper pools and fancy body suits - not because of superior skill.

[ChadTower]

Probably because he whipped Phelps ass 4 years ago, and the records are falling due to better/deeper pools and fancy body suits - not because of superior skill.

Funny, I said that on a triathlete's forum and they just about ran me out of the place.   

[WunderCade]

Then why wasn't Thorpe on deck proving it?

[ChadTower]

Because he retired a couple of years ago.

[WunderCade]

Hmm...he must regret that move.

[billf]

Hmm...he must regret that move.

Especially when he's only 2 years older than Phelps.

[saint]

Popular Mechanics:

Are cutting-edge swimsuits behind these shocking times?
No. While suits like the Speedo LZR Racer have proved important in winning medals葉he 1/100ths of a second they can shave off a time can often mean the difference between gold and silver葉hey seem to provide only incremental time gains. The next-gen gear works by reducing drag compared to bare skin, as well as encouraging swimmers to maintain a streamlined body position. However, Dara Torres posted a 53.78 in the Olympic trials in the 100-meter freestyle様ess than a second faster than her personal best times of 54.43 and 54.45謡hile wearing a more conventional suit.

And for what it's worth, Phelps wore the full-length LZR suit in only three of his eight races葉he 200 freestyle, the 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relays用referring to go bare-chested in his five butterfly and individual medley contests. "The suit is definitely a help," he told reporters in Beijing. "Without the training, nothing else happens."

Is it the super pool?
The pool in Beijing's Water Cube is one of the world's fastest. Its 3-meter depth is the deepest allowable, and it is 10 lanes wide (even though Olympic events are run with eight swimmers to a heat). These features reduce speed-robbing turbulence. But how much of a difference did those tweaks actually make this year? At last month's Olympic trials in a more conventional, 2.5-meter-deep pool in Omaha, Neb., Phelps posted a time of 1:44:10 in the 200 meters. His Olympic world-record time was 1:42.96預bout a second faster.

And the article goes on. The nutshell is that Phelps really is that damn good.

[WunderCade]

The nutshell is that Phelps really is that damn good.

Yes, he is. And Thorpe knows it. The statements he made doubting Phelps was simply ego and jealousy.

Thorpe's fellow Aussie Libby Trickett was amazed.

"It's pretty special to be swimming in an era where clearly the world's greatest male swimmer is swimming and to be able to watch what he's been doing over the past week is absolutely amazing," said Trickett, who leaves Beijing with four medals, two of them gold.

"Sometimes he absolutely blew his opponents apart and sometimes he won by point 01 (1/100th of a second), it was absolutely thrilling to watch every single moment.

"I was very lucky to see his 200 freestyle world record. I remember watching the same event at the worlds last year and I really thought that Thorpey's (Ian Thorpe) world record would not be touched for a very long time until he swum sub-1:44 and at this meet to go sub-1:43 is absolutely amazing.

"It definitely stretches out the barriers. It makes the impossible possible and decreases the limitations that we put on ourselves.

"I think that I have a lot more in me and I want to find that extra mile, just like he has, and he keeps on improving and progressing, it's absolutely amazing to watch.

"To win eight gold medals in this day and age where people are so specialised in their events is just amazing."

[danny_galaga]

hehe. i wasnt referring to any one particular australian swimmer. something like 90% of australias population lives on the coastline. our population isnt huge, but it still equates to a hell of a lot of potential, so we have always had great swimmers. although i notice our first gold was in 1896 for 800M track. we didnt win a gold for swimming until 1900.

[JackTucky]

And the article goes on. The nutshell is that Phelps really is that damn good.

So you're saying Shardian and Chad couldn't be more wrong?

[ChadTower]

I'm not saying he isn't perhaps the best ever in comparison to his peers... the playing field is level now.  But guys up until a couple of years ago didn't have the advantage of these suits.  Even some swimmers are saying it is a large difference - almost like giving aluminum bats to MLB players.  The same guys would still be leading the league in HRs but they would be hitting 100/year.

[shardian]

Actually, the articles just reinforce my point. The suit adds up to a second, and the pool adds up to a second. 2 seconds is a HUGE increment when it comes to breaking world records.

[shardian]

And yes, Michael Phelps is still the best swimmer in the world.

[saint]

The article adds though that he only wore the suit in 3 of the events. The deeper pool is consistant though.

[shardian]

The article adds though that he only wore the suit in 3 of the events. The deeper pool is consistant though.

He still wore the bottom half of the suit in the rest.

[markrvp]

The article adds though that he only wore the suit in 3 of the events. The deeper pool is consistant though.

He still wore the bottom half of the suit in the rest.

What a stupid, asinine, ignorant argument you are making.  He wore half a suit while his competitors wore the full suit, yet he still won.  If everybody is wearing the same suits (or have access to it), then how can he not be the best swimmer when he wins?  I agree that the pool and equipment is conducive to breaking world records, but how does that diminish the fact that Phelps is still beating all the other Olympians?

ALL the competitors have access to the same suits and are swimming in the same pool at the Olympics.  Phelps isn't the only one wearing a Speedo suit and he isn't the only one swimming in a 3 meter deep pool.   Why on earth are you so jealous of Phelps that you feel the need to try and and somehow discredit his accomplishments on an arcade forum?

[Hoopz]

The article adds though that he only wore the suit in 3 of the events. The deeper pool is consistant though.

He still wore the bottom half of the suit in the rest.

What a stupid, asinine, ignorant argument you are making.  He wore half a suit while his competitors wore the full suit, yet he still won.  If everybody is wearing the same suits (or have access to it), then how can he not be the best swimmer when he wins?  I agree that the pool and equipment is conducive to breaking world records, but how does that diminish the fact that Phelps is still beating all the other Olympians?

ALL the competitors have access to the same suits and are swimming in the same pool at the Olympics.  Phelps isn't the only one wearing a Speedo suit and he isn't the only one swimming in a 3 meter deep pool.   Why on earth are you so jealous of Phelps that you feel the need to try and and somehow discredit his accomplishments on an arcade forum?

I agree with your points except some swimmers dont have access to the speedo suit if they contracted with another company.  From what I read a month or so ago, it's just the speedo suit that achieves a certain level of buoyancy.