Phelps Sets Record Straight And Moves On

The Age

Monday August 11, 2008

Michael Cowley

IF BOB BOWMAN is a man of his word, then Michael Phelps has won his last 400 metres individual medley  and he produced the almost perfect way to bid farewell to one of the most gruelling events in the pool.

It was fitting that Phelps  who will be the athlete of these Games as he attempts to win eight gold medals and usurp the achievement of Mark Spitz in 1972  won the first gold medal in the pool. And to make sure he never has to swim the event again, he broke his own world record by more than a second.

While that might be music through the iPods of his medley rivals, its not as though he is quitting the sport, and there will now be some anxious swimmers in other events that Captain America might decide to target.

We had a deal, Phelps said of his unwritten contract with coach Bowman. I said I wanted this to be my last 400m IM. He said I have to set a record.

At 6.30am [yesterday] I was going to the pool and I joked with him that this will be my last one. He said, Break the record and all right. But now hes saying, Well have to talk about that. Hopefully, I may not be swimming that one any more. I would like to not swim that any more. Its one of the hardest races, and Id like to try some new ones in the upcoming years and just be able to have a different approach. So well see what happens. But in my opinion, it was my last one. In the night session, the US broke their own world record in the heats of the 4x100m freestyle relay, without Phelpss help. The Australian mens 4x100m freestyle relay team, who rested their key sprinter, Eamon Sullivan, also swam under the old world record. The Australians surged home to touch in 3:12.41, five hundredths of a second under the existing world mark, only for the US to clock 3:12.23.

Earlier, the Western worlds most powerful man, US President GeorgeWBush, was at the Water Cube to watch the worlds most powerful man in water. And after the race the President and First Lady, Laura Bush, were excitedly cheering and waving their Stars and Stripes for Team USA.

I looked up and saw him [Bush] after the race waving the American flag and giving me the thumbs up, and I waved and nodded my head. That was pretty cool, said Phelps. It is special to have the President here and cheering us on. In his potential 400m IM swan song, Phelps clocked a staggering four minutes, 3.84 seconds, 1.41 faster than the world record he set at the US trials in June. But it wasnt a procession. For six laps Phelps was pestered by teammate Ryan Lochte and Hungarys Laszlo Cseh, before a dazzling breaststroke leg set up the victory.

I saw the clock when we turned at the 150m and we were all tight together and thought, Well, this is going to be a fun last few hundred, and it was going to be pretty painful,. I knew the breaststroke was the biggest key to finishing that race, and I think its the best breaststroke Ive ever split.

I remember coming off the last wall, I got the same feeling as I got in Athens. Coming into the last 25 of the [400 IM] race in Athens, I saw myself out there and I sort of smiled because the first one [gold medal] was there.

I had the same feeling this morning. Going into the last 50m and looking to my right and seeing I was ahead of Ryan and Laszlo, I sort of started smiling.

And as you saw, I was pretty excited after I touched.

It was very emotional. I wanted to sing on the medal podium, but I couldnt stop crying. I was just happy to get the first one under my belt.

Everybodys watching at home, and its just an honour being able to do what I just did.

GOLD

M Phelps US (WR) 4:03.84

SILVER

L Cseh Hun 4:06.16

BRONZE

R Lochte US 4:08.09

© 2008 The Age

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