The Phelps Countdown ...

[Mike]

Michael Phelps has the opportunity to write history.
He's off to a good start nabbing the 400m medley in world record time of: 4 minutes, 3.84 seconds, beating his own WR and crushing the competition.

1 down - 7 events to go! If he makes all 8 events, he'll be the most decorated Olympian in history...and most likely in all of our life time.

I'm not much of a swimming fan, but Phelps seriously rocks!

M.

 

[GILSAN]

Another day, another gold for Michael, and again with a world record. If I'm not wrong that's 6 down and 2 to go. This guy is surelly the greatest swimer of all time.

 

[Mike]

i just went out with a few co workers of mine, the bar we went to had big screens up with the Olympics running. While everyone indulged in their conversations, as soon as Phelps came up, all eyes were glued to the TV. When he started swimming and was, yet once again, more than one body length ahead, the entire place was on its feet, screaming, howling, it's like being in Italy during a WM championship final... absolutely amazing.
This guy has what it takes to become a 23 year old legend...

M.

 

[bluearrow]

He has already bagged 6 models by now.

 

[Rudy]

Does it count that I just voted "yes" now that he only has 2 more events to go? Like you guys have already said, this guy is ridiculous. Simply ridiculous.

I went out on a pontoon boat with my family Monday, and in the course of the day did some tubing and swimming. After about 10 or 15 minutes just treading water I was tired! (Of course, I haven't been swimming in forever, and was overseas the past 3 months so couldn't work out, so am out of shape... but still).

I loved it that the Americans smashed the WR in in the 800m Relay. Wasn't it before that event that the French just kept saying they would win, and the American team on the other hand was cool, calm, collected, and didn't say much of anything?

 

[firefly]

He'll do it...no worries.

A couple of interesting facts about Mr. Phelps.

His size fifteen feet actually bend back fifteen degrees more than the average person, in effect, giving him a set of size fifteen flippers hanging of his legs.

He also suffers from ADD...probably perfect for someone with such a large swimming program.

Sure the suit helps but I think in this particular case it has more to do with the athlete in question. His body is simply made to fly through the water. History in the making and we get to see it. You gotta feel honored to witness such greatness.

Is he the greatest Olympian of all time?? His medal tally leaves no doubt about his claim to that title. For me though, quite possibly the greatest Olympian of all time is Jesse Owens. To go to a hostile country and do what he did was the essence of courage and grace under pressure.

Still, I don't think we will see another like Phelps in our lifetime. He is a once in a century athlete.

 

[Peter]

Is he the greatest Olympian of all time?? His medal tally leaves no doubt about his claim to that title. For me though, quite possibly the greatest Olympian of all time is Jesse Owens. To go to a hostile country and do what he did was the essence of courage and grace under pressure.

Was that the guy from the German olympics when he helpd the african guy in the long jump?

 

[GILSAN]

Besides Jesse Owens, there were so many great names like Nadia Comenici with all those perfect 10's in gymnastics, Mark Spitz, Abebe Bikila the Ethiopean who won 2 Olympic marathons, the first one barefoot, in Rome coming 4 minutes ahead of the silver medalist. Bob Beamon's fantastic out-of-this world long jump record, Carl Lewis, Nurmi, the flying Fynn who won 12 medals winning all events between 1500 to 10.000m. Even Dick Fosbury who revolutionized high jumping. Ian Thorpe was outstanding. Pity he retired so early. There are so many names.

In these games there are 2 special names that should be mentioned, both South African athletes. South African swimmer Natalie Du Toit became the first amputee to qualify for the Olympics and should be racing in the next day or two. The other S. African is Oscar Pistorius "the blade runner" the fastest man without legs, who could have made it if it were not for politics, that pressured the S. African Olympic comitee not to send him to Beijing.

 

[firefly]

Was that the guy from the German olympics when he helpd the african guy in the long jump?

Lol...Jesse Owens was the black athlete who won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics. Along with the fact that whilst being antisemitic and highly militaristic, Germany was also extremely Racist.

Yes Gill...there have been many great Olympians but not many have walked into the jaws of the enemy and prevailed like Owens did.

check this out.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/olympics.html

and this.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3524138,00.html

Thankfully the world is a little better place than then and Phelps accomplishments are a blazing beacon of light for true greatness that the whole world can rejoice in

 

[Peter]

Lol...Jesse Owens was the black athlete who won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics. Along with the fact that whilst being antisemitic and highly militaristic, Germany was also extremely Racist.

Just checked I am thinking of Luz Long who congratulated Owens after he won the long jump he also gave him advise before he took his jump. What made it such a story was the fact he didit in plain site in front of hitler and the guy was a German so could have faced a lot of backlash from it.

 

[GILSAN]

How on earth did he do that? He was losing and then....he wins by one hundredth of a second! Somebody please explain to me HOW????

7 down, just 1 to go.

 

[liquidcherry]

It is called determination, hunger for success!!

...i watched it too and , man what a close call...he goofed at the jump(don't wanna downgrade the other guy)

Congratz Phelp Man.....

Cheers

Frank

 

[tonyfloyd]

unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!............the kid is not human!!!!!!!!!!.........

 

[liquidcherry]

unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!............the kid is not human!!!!!!!!!!.........

I agree, just look at his huge ears...like dumbo...he must be an elephant....but than the question is raising, if he is an elephant...how can he swim so fast...LOL

:hehe: :wave:

Cheers

frank

 

[GILSAN]

I agree, just look at his huge ears...like dumbo...he must be an elephant....but than the question is raising, if he is an elephant...how can he swim so fast...LOL

:hehe: :wave:

Cheers

frank

Dumbo doesn't swim, he FLIES!! I'll bet Michael can take a 3 minute shower in 1 minute.

 

[Peter]

How on earth did he do that? He was losing and then....he wins by one hundredth of a second! Somebody please explain to me HOW????

7 down, just 1 to go.

Same way they won that 4 man relay (3rd medal i think) when they were a second or so behind at the last 50 and came back to win.

He has won just under half of USA'sgold medals. And only 3 countries have won more golds than him.

 

[ajkula]

How on earth did he do that? He was losing and then....he wins by one hundredth of a second! Somebody please explain to me HOW????

In last 2-3 meters Milorad Čavić was under water and Michael Phelps was over water with his body (air resistance is much more weaker then water resistance). Congrats to Milorad and Michael for great race

 

[johname]

How on earth did he do that? He was losing and then....he wins by one hundredth of a second! Somebody please explain to me HOW????

7 down, just 1 to go.

It was the extra stroke, the other guy glide it while phelps powered in. Not air versus water resistence.

 

[bgmv]

I think Phelps is an amazing athlete and if he surpasses Spitz's 7 then he will be considered one of the greatest olympians of all time. It is hard to give someone the title of greatest olympian because every sport is different and what constitutes as greatness in one sport cannot be compared to another. For example, Roger Federer, he is quite arguably the greatest tennis player but lost the olympics. There are no weekly swimming tournaments and Phelps has a limited pool of competition, try swimming for gold every weekend for 4 years, not 12 times in 4 years.

http://bgmv.com/sports/michael-phelps-is-definitley-not-the-best-athlete-in-the-world/

 

[Bill]

Make that eight for eight!

Awesome!

7 world records.... :kickass:

-Bill

 

[GILSAN]

He made it!. 8 GOLDS. Another day , another world record. We have witnessed history being made. What else can we say that hasn't already been said. Thanks Michael for a week of records and thrills.