Does Michael Phelps swim Freestyle? (1 Viewer)

[Mike375]

As far as I can see he does not swim freestyle and as such is not the fastest swimmer.

Mark Spitz took the gold medal in both 100 and 200 metre freestyle.

Michael Phelps has taken gold in the "secondary events" and so I would place him behind Mark Spitz as well as some others such as Australia's Shane Gould.

 

[Fifty2One]

It does not matter what he won the gold medals in, the quantity is more important so that he can become a mega millionaire from sponsorship payola.
The olympics is not about sport, it is about capitalism and greed, which is why it is more important to some atheletes to win no matter what, even if you have to resort to cheating and chemical enhancements.

As far as I can see he does not swim freestyle and as such is not the fastest swimmer.

Mark Spitz took the gold medal in both 100 and 200 metre freestyle.

Michael Phelps has taken gold in the "secondary events" and so I would place him behind Mark Spitz as well as some others such as Australia's Shane Gould.

 

[GaryPanic]

If Micheal has won thiese fair and square - thne this is fab, if however he has used drugs then this will tarnish the whole of the US team , personally I think that he has done this clean and as such deserves the credit he is getting (annoying thought that may be...)

 

[dkinley]

... (annoying thought that may be...)

Just curious why attention given could be annoying? Or the fact he gets credit annoying?

I vote just props because the dude has undoubtably lived a very stringent lifestyle to accomplish these goals. It's not like he showed up and swam eight races. He swam all the trial heats and final events faster than anyone else .. be different if he just did one event. This does not counting all the countless hours to achieve said goals prior to the events we are talking years of work.

I say let the capitalist pay for the endorsements and let him reap the benefits. The capitalists pastes his face everywhere to sell their product, etc, and kids are inspired. These kids in turn get more physical excercise, become healthier .. etc. End result? They aren't sucking my tax dollars to pay for a lifetime of medical care that could be avoided with a better diet and a little excercise. If that makes me greedy - well ... your dang skippy!

-dK

 

[rainman89]

If Micheal has won thiese fair and square - thne this is fab, if however he has used drugs then this will tarnish the whole of the US team , personally I think that he has done this clean and as such deserves the credit he is getting (annoying thought that may be...)

He tests a ton so im pretty sure he is clean. I also think that the fact that he does test so much is his way of saying, "look at me, im the best swimmer ever"

Plus, we (americans) dont want to have to go through more doping scandals like we have been for the past few years now.

On another note I want to say that I have never enjoyed watching a summer olympics like i have watching this one.

 

[ColinEssex]

He's nothing compared to Mark Spitz.
Phelps has a super-sleek costume, the water is deeper to eliminate drag, and both outside lanes are empty to eliminate back-wash, the starting block has a super-non slip surface, it's all in his favour - plus he's probobly on some drug. A child of ten could do it as well.

On another note I want to say that I have never enjoyed watching a summer olympics, it ruins the TV schedules and it's boring. It dominates everything, thank god it's only every 4 years.

Col

 

[GaryPanic]

"Annoying" - more like Jealousy....
if I was a Yank then I would be suitable impressed - as I am not then its down to pure envy .. but as long as I know its envy , I can live with it -

so congrats to him

 

[dkinley]

Hehehe ... oh, I am a yank and jealous it wasn't me .. of course I swim like a rock.

Greater than Spitz? Greater than anyone? --- Who knows. If they would have had as many events in the 70's perhaps Spitz would have done it too, perhaps not --- is all speculation and subjectivity in my book.

As far as jacking up the TV schedule ... cable has over 200 channels!

All I know is that I am waiting for them to really expand the Olympics so we all don't feel jealous and get down on ourselves. They didn't have the 'Honor B-Roll' when I was in high school like they do now. I wished they did so I could have felt like a winner and get some ink in the paper like those straight A kids.

Personally, I think the Olympics is tainted by the expansion, allowing professionals to compete. I think should get back to base athletic skills and only give out 1st place medals only. Of course, I am not the silver medalist sucking on the 1st place finishers wind.

Until then ... guess I will wait on them to expand the Olympics so I can get gold in most eyeblinks or something pathetically lazy like that.

-dK

 

[rainman89]

"Annoying" - more like Jealousy....
if I was a Yank then I would be suitable impressed - as I am not then its down to pure envy .. but as long as I know its envy , I can live with it -

so congrats to him

Agreed, but i think if they added the doggy paddle, we'd all be in contention

 

[oumahexi]

Of course, I am not the silver medalist sucking on the 1st place finishers wind.

I have no idea why they get so upset if they "only" win silver or bronze. If you can't lose with dignity you shouldn't be in it. That said, I don't see how silver or bronze can be seen as "losing", clearly they WON a medal!

 

[dkinley]

Err ... 2nd Place is 1st Place Loser =]

But we don't teach coping skills anymore ... coping is now defined as get a gun and whack whoever 1-up'd you.

-dK

 

[namliam]

The olympics is not about sport, it is about capitalism and greed,

My soul mate !

Competing is more important than winning, IIRC that is the slogan right??

Yet the olympics cost China its entire water reserve for the next two decades.
Plus (gambling here) billions of dollars/euros/yen whatever coin they spend
Meanwhile farmers outside of Beijing cannot farm because of the desert pulling in from the drought and people are starving for having nothing to eat.

China (and the world for that matter) can do much better things with such money than to spend it on building stadiums that will only be filled (at all or to capacity) during the Olympics and even then...
After the Olympics they stand there as a momento to what was and may be, but... for due purpose are overprices peaces of future scrap.

We have our national/continental and world championships to compete for (which cost to much money as well) now the Olympics steels one of those 'years' because contentenders for the world champs try and peak at the olympics.
All for some stupid 'custom' of the 'supposed' greek ancients, who competed for gold medals (sure!).

Bull hockey and cross eyed poker playing on steroids!

Lets cancel all this 'great stuff' like olympics, exploring the stars and the Moon. Sending a 6 billions costing robot to operate on mars to find ice?? Yay there MAY have been live in some form on Mars 10 billion years ago... WHO cares?
Developing some space station that may benifit us WHEN?

Meanwhile we dont have funds to feed everyone or to research a cure for the cold, flu or Cancer and Aids.
We dont have funds to research cleaner electricity and substitutes for fuel consumption to save our own planet. So what if there was life on Mars? Our own planet will drown and colaps in upon it self under the weight of humanity before we ever become somewhat knowledgable of anything beyond anywhere but Earth.

Lets stop wasting resources and start pulling these resources towards loftier goals than "oh I heard a beep from outer space"
There may be life on the forth planet from that star say 60.000 lightyears from here.

Even if we had the technology to travel that far AT lightspeed we would get there in say 60.000 years??!!! OK that may seem like a second in the "grand scheme" of things... but is more than 600 live-times for our average human.
1200 livetimes for a round trip.

So what there may be aliens out there so advanced they could kill us all in 10 seconds or less... SO WHAT? like we can do anything to stop them??

Idiots Idiots Idiots! All of them!

*goes to bang head on wall*

Sorry for the rant guys.... but I really trully feel all this sports and stuff is nice and all, but come on ... face facts, how much is this costing China and/or maybe more importantly what is this costing its populous?

 

[oumahexi]

Err ... 2nd Place is 1st Place Loser =]

But we don't teach coping skills anymore ... coping is now defined as get a gun and whack whoever 1-up'd you.

-dK

See the Mailman's reply and put bells and whistles on it

There is a reason they call it the Olympic GAMES! Like football, it's just a GAME! Nobody dies if you come back with the wrong colour medal! We should be celebrating the achievement of our nations, the fact they got there in the first place, many of them with very little funding. Not turning our backs on them for not achieving what we hoped for.

 

[rainman89]

See the Mailman's reply and put bells and whistles on it

There is a reason they call it the Olympic GAMES! Like football, it's just a GAME! Nobody dies if you come back with the wrong colour medal! We should be celebrating the achievement of our nations, the fact they got there in the first place, many of them with very little funding. Not turning our backs on them for not achieving what we hoped for.

unlike the world cup where i believe the defender that scored an own goal (and cost the win) was shot and killed upon his return to his country

1994 columbia player (just looked it up)

 

[datAdrenaline]

Seems there are issues about in celebrating someones accomplishments ... thats too bad! ... Did you know the Mr. Phelps STILL holds records for the 8 and under age group at the swim club he participated in when he was that age? ... So at 8 he must have started his drug regimine eh? ... He has ALWAYS been at the leading edge of his sport, and has been given the body structure to support the sport of his choice... Just like Spitz was given that same benefit.

Sure, the equipment and facilities are different now in 2009 than when Spitz swam (how could you expect it to remain the same?), but its all relative ... All folks in 72 used the same stuff available (ie: latest/greatest) for that era, just as the folks here in 2008 use (or have access to) the latest and greatest stuff.

I was a swimmer in my "glory days of youth", and I have a ton of respect for ALL that have made the US swimming team ... even those that did not perform as expected. With my history, I may be partial, but traditionally US swimming has had a pretty clean history ... East German Women way back when, and Moullouli {not from the US} (the guy who won the 1500m Free) ... are two samples of un-clean swimming that I can think of ...

Another comment was made in this thread was concerning greed (maybe not directed at Micheal, but maybe so) ... well ... if you recall, in 2004, Micheal gave up his spot on the Gold medal winning relay to his friend Ian Crocker. If Michael participated, he would have recv'd 7 gold medals in 2004 to equal the Spitz record. Micheal gave up his spot simply because of his sportsmanship, respect and high regard for Ian.... sure sounds like a greedy person to me! ...

By the way ... he does swim freestyle!! ... Butterfly was coined his "signiture" stroke .. but at 19 in the 2004 olimpics he placed 3rd in the 200m Freestyle behind Ian Thorpe and Peter van der Hooganband (Two very fast folks ... especially Ian, who is, well, legendary!!). In 2008, Michael won the Gold in that event, with a World Record, and almost 2 seconds ahead of Silver! ... so ... YES .. he swims the forward crawl! .. Special note ... the "Freestyle" means that a swimmer can swim any stroke he wants, I even swam with person who set the state record in the 100yd Freestyle ... swimming Butterfly! ... needless to say, that individual also held the 100 butterfly state record!

 

[oumahexi]

unlike the world cup where i believe the defender that scored an own goal (and cost the win) was shot and killed upon his return to his country

1994 columbia player (just looked it up)

Men are just nuts! They take that stupid game way too seriously. Thank goodness the joiner doesn't care for it!

 

[GaryPanic]

"Sure, the equipment and facilities are different now in 2009 than when Spitz swam (how could you expect it to remain the same?), but its all relative ... All folks in 72 used the same stuff available (ie: latest/greatest) for that era, just as the folks here in 2008 use (or have access to) the latest and greatest stuff."

err no - thats a cutting statement that isn't quite true - not every country can afford the state of the art faculities ...
some of the smaller nations do not have these resources - can you imagin Zimbawae (typo) having money spare to do professional swimming (or other sports) I cannot -

and I do congratulate Phelps on his win - and I do hope that it was drug free
as those who take drugs seem to repent tot here fans and not to the fellow competitors whom they have rob of their moment of glory (that does not mean Phelps has cheated - just that any cheat robs the true winner of their rightful position)

 

[Rabbie]

Men are just nuts! They take that stupid game way too seriously. Thank goodness the joiner doesn't care for it!

It was a great scotsman and football manager who said

Football isn't a matter of life and death. its much more important than that

 

[datAdrenaline]

Hey Gary ...

>> err no - thats a cutting statement that isn't quite true - not every country can afford the state of the art faculities ... <<

I did not mean it to be "cutting" ... My frame of reference was for the event itself, not in the means available to train for the event.... basically I was speaking in the mind set that every one swam in the same pool and started from the same blocks and was timed in the same manner with respect to the era in which they swam at the Olimpics ...

... Your point is a good bit of information to add, and I agree with you on it! ...

 

[dkinley]

I am going to slightly disagree on last point .. emphasis on slightly because not all the athletes fall into this category but I am willing to stake that at least 85% do.

If you look at almost any event, many of the athletes went to a college in the US (can we say emphasis on college recruiting) or another country with those facilities. Many are fresh from the NCAA where they took home alot of ribbons for the college. Further more they are allowed extended stays to train on our soil but yet represent a foreign country.

It miff's many people off in non-athletic programs that part of our collegiate fees go to the athletic program and we didn't and COULDN'T use any of their facilities, etc. Not to mention to pay for the scholarships for foriegn nationals so the college could have a higher standing in their athletics division. The other classmen (and women) had a piece of crap gym that took about $500.00 to stock with equipment.

-dK