Michael Phelps: Every Second Counts
6/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
By Barbara Cossman
Thirty-nine days. Nine-hundred thirty-six hours. Fifty-six thousand, one hundred sixty minutes. It's like the Olympic countdown clock that, for the last three years, has hung on the west wall of U-M's Canham Natatorium. Every minute, every second counts, and in swimming, every one-hundredth of a second counts. It can mean the difference between a gold medal and a silver, or between a bronze and not medaling at all.
That is why on May 21, a mere 39 days prior to the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Michael Phelps held one last international media event as those precious minutes continued to fall off the clock. From here on out, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, but swimming, eating and sleeping - the three staples of Phelps' life.
I guess that's what it takes to dominate in your forte, to be the absolute best in the world. To reach that pinnacle -- and stay there -- priorities must be set and focus must remain on the end goal. With interview requests from literally all over the map, Phelps and his staff of agents at Octagon decided it was time to weed out any and all distractions. No more interviews, no more appearances, no more photo shoots. When you're in a position to turn down national media, you know you've hit it big.
So what is it like to be the best To be the hunted
For a certain few, there's the glory, and endorsements, but with that comes fame, expectations -- both internal and external -- and attention. That's why TV and newspaper reporters, camera crews and photographers flocked to Ann Arbor and Schembechler Hall for one final chance to interview who is sure to be the focal point in Beijing. Media from Germany, Brazil, Great Britain, Canada -- which would normally be equally impressive, except that in Ann Arbor you're a mere 45 minutes from the Canadian border and you actually go south to get there -- Mexico, France, Switzerland, and yes, even ESPN. They each got their 10 minutes of "Michael time," whether they came from near or far, or even farther.
Of course the predominant issue was whether or not Michael was officially and publicly shooting for eight gold medals in Beijing, in an attempt to break Mark Spitz's 36-year record of seven from the 1972 Munich Games. Apparently, the only two people in the entire world who know Michael's exact goals for Beijing are coach Bob Bowman and the wunderkind himself; in fact, no one even really knows his event lineup for the Olympic Trials. Next to Michael's bed, however, sits a notepad with those goals hidden inside. For public consumption, the seasoned 22 year-old only admits to this: "I am excited to have the opportunity to be at the Olympic Games again, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to win a gold medal again. I've said this before and I'll say it again, not many people have a gold medal or have six. I'm excited to have the opportunity to have a chance to win another one and to represent my country and try to swim as fast as I can."
When the popular topic of eight gold medals resurfaces, he merely states, "I just don't even think about it. I have my own goals and that's really what I'm focused on. I can control what I do and what I do in the pool, and that's it.
"It starts with one (gold medal) and wherever it goes from there. Right now, the biggest thing is making the Olympic team. I have to go Trials just like everyone here in the U.S. does. You have to be ready that day to compete and make the team. That's what Bob and I are planning for now."
That preparation culminates June 29-July 6 in Omaha, Neb. Eight days that will determine the fate of hundreds of Olympic hopefuls. With Olympic swimming beginning on Aug. 9, the first day of the Games, that makes for a quick turn-around in which American swimmers must hit their peak essentially twice in one month's time.
"My job is to have Michael be in a position to make the team at the Trials and to be at an absolute peak at the Games," says Bowman. "I don't think our goal is to have him absolutely 110 percent razor-sharp in Omaha, and I think he'll get the job done in the state he'll be in. My goal is to leave something in the tank for Beijing." Presumably, this is a luxury most Olympic hopefuls - and their coaches -- don't have, and never will.
And what does it take to be the best
Obviously in this case there's some natural-born talent at the crux of it all. Beyond that, incredible focus and determination, and a little motivation never hurts either. Back in January, retired Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe -- a five-time Olympic gold medalist -- commented on the likelihood of Michael breaking Spitz's record.
"... I wish him all the very best," Thorpe said. "I don't think he will do it, but I'd love to see it. ... There's a thing called competition. It won't just be one athlete that will be competing, and in a lot of events he has a lot of strong competition."
Like any good coach, Bowman showed the quote to Michael for some added motivation. In typical Michael fashion, belying his youthful 22 years, he replies matter-of-factly, "I welcome all words. I don't respond to trash talk, it just motivates me."
It's hard to imagine that this Olympic veteran is barely in his 20s. After all, he's been in the public eye since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, at which he was known for being the youngest member of the American team at the modest age of 15; he finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly. At that time, he was following on the heels of another Wolverine, Tom Malchow, the 2000 gold medalist and world record-holder in the 200 fly. It would be that same event in which Michael set his first world record -- eclipsing Malchow's standard -- at the 2001 World Championships. It was that performance that gave Bowman an inkling he had something truly special in Michael.
The Road to Beijing and Beyond
Needless to say, the road has been a focused one for Phelps, starting first in his hometown of Baltimore, with trips to Sydney and then Athens, before landing in Ann Arbor when Bowman was hired as Michigan's head swimming coach in April 2004.
"I remember going through all the growing up stages," Phelps says of his move to A2. "Buying your first house, trying to cook meals, buying new dishes, putting hand soap in the dishwasher, eating cereal out of a Gatorade bottle because I didn't have any bowls. I did it all.
"I've had a lot of experiences here that I'll never forget. Being able to be a part of a Michigan athletic team, being a volunteer assistant -- I've never seen anything like it. Growing up, I was on a team and we considered ourselves close but after seeing four years of a team, being on the Michigan swimming team, seeing how close they really are, what I had before was nothing like this. It really is like a family. These people are with you every step of the way. The coach is there every step of the way. The support system is there every step of the way. Being able to see that first-hand has taught me a lot. Being at Michigan the last four years I've had a lot of experiences that will carry through my life forever, and hopefully I can pass on some of the things I've learned here back in Baltimore."
The teenager still too young to drive when he made his first Olympic team has grown in many ways during his time at Michigan, but will return to his roots in Maryland following the 2008 Olympics. What lies ahead in Beijing and beyond, only he and Bowman know, much like the contents of that fabled bed-side notepad. In the meantime, as the clock keeps ticking, Phelps is going underground as he digs deep during this final month of preparation. And when he resurfaces, his actions are certain to speak louder than words.
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