No Limits: The Will to Succeed by Michael Phelps

Author:Michael Phelps
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Non-Fiction, Personal Memoirs, Swimming, Biography, Sports
ISBN: 9781439141724
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 2008-12-09T00:00:00+00:00

Ian said, “You know, people kind of have their fate and their destiny and, you know, that was what it was tonight. I’ve worked damn hard for this. I’ve worked hard for all of my swims and, you know, it just happened for me tonight.”

“Just the fact that Phelps wanted to step up and race Ian Thorpe, even though this isn’t his best event, it’s a testament to what kind of athlete he is,” one of the television commentators said just moments after the finish. The commentator: Dara Torres, who was taking part in these Olympics from the broadcasting booth.

That effort in Athens was, at the time, the fastest I could go. I had made mistakes: My turns could have been so much better, particularly my third turn, which just killed me. Even so, I was closing fast and if the race had been 205 or 210 meters, I might have pulled it out. But it wasn’t, of course, and so I didn’t. I ran out of pool; that’s the saying in swimming, and that’s what happened.

But, I can see now, it’s all part of how the puzzle was supposed to come together.

That loss in Athens has to be looked at as a—maybe the—defining moment in my swim career. I stepped up and raced the best. I found out I was good but, in the 200 free, not good enough. I had work to do. I was proud to stand on the podium with Pieter and Ian, with Ian in particular—it’s competitive, never personal—but at the same time I felt immense resolve.

During the ceremony, as the gold medal was draped around his neck, I applauded in genuine respect, and I made sure afterward, in speaking with reporters, to praise him. “In my opinion, he has a perfect stroke,” I said. “It’s unbelievable how he moves through the water. It’s pretty to watch.”

He, in turn, said nice things about me: “Michael had a good race.” But he also said, when asked, that seven golds might be too much for anyone. “It is a very difficult thing to do. I think people probably don’t understand what goes on behind the scenes.”

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