Golden Boy

Michael Phelps has won his eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games, a tremendous achievement. The NYTimes reports:

With the help of his teammates on Sunday, Michael Phelps surpassed Mark Spitz, 36 years after Spitz’s record haul of seven gold medals at the Munich Games. The United States won the 4x100-meter medley relay in 3:29.34, a world record, for Phelps’ eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games. [...]

How fabulous was Phelps’s feat? At Sunday’s start, Phelps would have ranked fourth in gold medals, ahead of all but 14 countries in the medal count. Every time Phelps dived into the water for a final here, the ripples extended into every corner of the Water Cube. On Friday, Andrew Lauterstein of Australia won the bronze medal in the 100 butterfly. Standing on the medals podium alongside Phelps, Lauterstein said he was thrilled to have had a cameo role in this recording of history.

Phelps had won his seventh gold medal on Saturday in dramatic fashion in the 100-meter butterfly, by out-touching Serbia’s Milorad Cavic.

Phelps was timed in 50.58, a personal best and an Olympic record. Cavic, a California-Berkeley graduate, was one-hundredth of a second behind. Phelps had caught Spitz by a whisker, tying Spitz’s record haul from the 1972 Munich Games and earning a $1 million bonus from Speedo, one of his sponsors.

With the win, he tied Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in one Olympics. His first six golds were all world records, but No. 7 came down to grit.

About two hours after the 100-meter butterfly, NBC’s Bob Costas interviewed Spitz, via satellite from Detroit, and Phelps, who was still poolside. Spitz said he had wondered what he would say at this monumental time.

“The word that comes to mind is epic,” Spitz said. “What you did tonight was epic, and it was epic for the whole world to see how great you really are.

“I never thought for one moment that you were out of that race,” he added. “That is a tribute to your greatness.”

Spitz went on to talk about role models, and how he admires Phelps not only for his swimming abilities, but also for the type of person he is.

“You weren’t born when I did what I did, and I’m sure I was a part of your inspiration, and I take that as a full compliment,” Spitz said. “They say that you judge one’s character by the company you keep, and I’m certainly happy to keep company with you.”

Phelps responded with admiration for Spitz, the man whose record he has been chasing for several years. In Athens four years ago, Phelps won six golds and two bronzes.

“There have been so many greats who have come before me, and what Mark did is still amazing,” he said. “It’s a very hard thing to accomplish. I think it shows whatever you put your mind to, you really can accomplish.

Keep in mind that when Spitz competed there were only seven events. Give how dominant he was at the time, it seem reasonable to think he would have won all eight if there had been eight events. Also keep in mind the Beijing pool is much deeper, and therefore faster, that the pool Spitz swam in, and Spitz swam wearing a polyester suit, long hair and a moustache!

This isn't to take anything away from Phelps's accomplishment -- just to put it all into perspective.

Michael Phelps had a dream and he did everything an athlete has to do to accomplish it.

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