Of course, everyone has their own opinion, but it is tough to argue the fact that Michael Phelps is the best swimmer in the world. While it can be argued that he left some questions to be answered in 2004, he made a statement heard around the world at the 2008 Olympics and left little doubt that he is indeed the best swimmer in the world and its not just down to his mens swim shorts!.
The year 2004 was a landmark year and the one that brought swimming and Phelps into the public limelight. People had already tagged him as the second coming of Mark Spitz, but the results were astonishing. He swam in just every swimming discipline offered and won a total of eight medals that year. While he did capture six gold medals, his detractors pointed to the fact that he did not sweep and while he did manage to win bronze in the other two events, he had obvious weaknesses.
These criticisms seemed to drive Phelps training regimen over the next four years and when he showed up in Beijing, there was little doubt that he would not only contend in every event that he swam in, but that he would be the favorite for the gold in every single one of them as well. There was but one event that was in doubt during the entire Olympic Games and while the finish is still considered controversial by some, the tape replays clearly show that Phelps touched the wall first to win yet another gold.
The adulation that has bestowed Phelps over the years is quite impressive. He has more Olympic gold medals than anyone in the history of the games. The scary thing is that he is hardly done. He will be 27 years old when the next Olympics take place. While some may consider this age past his prime, his recent training footage has shown nothing but a swimmer that is determined to once again win every event that he enters wearing his men’s swimwear. Until someone else can strip away his medals during the course of an event, Phelps must be considered the best swimmer in the world.
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