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The focus today is definitely on Michael Phelps. His most earth-shattering defeat, and him being the greatest olympian of all time with 19 olympic medals. And within that, so many world records and other glorious statistics in whichever ways you want to group it. Remember how I was so in love with the real olympic fish back in 2008? He will forever be a hero in my, and alot of many people's heart. I had the below typed out, because deep inside me, I was really anticipating a miracle:
At 15 years of age back in 2001, Phelps broke the world record for the 200m Butterfly which put him on the map. Ever since then, the 200m Butterfly is like a battle between he himself because only he can beat his own timing. He is still the current world record holder since 2009. It is undoubtedly the event that matters to him the most.
No man has ever successfully defended a swimming title 3 times in a row.
That's 12 years of being the fastest in the world.
I thought I had missed the shot at at least inspiring just one soul out there. But there's still the 100m butterfly in which he could still be the only man to defend a title 3 times. This will be Phelp's last olympics, for sure. In his last events, you can expect the whole stadium to give a standing ovation for the greatest olympian of all time. He is definitely the hero of alot of young swimmers, including Chad le Clos, who beat him in his favourite event. He definitely inspired me, made me discover the beauty of swimming and fall so crazily in love with it. That I'm here doing this now. Not anything huge, but I have a huge fire in me that's burning wildly!
What impressed me the most is how gracious Phelps is. Even though le Clos beat him to a beautiful swansong, he took the results with a big heart, and congratulated le Clos genuinely. You can tell by the way they're interacting, Phelps is kind of like a mentor looking out for him. Imagine 5 year old le Clos watching 15 year old Phelps breaking the world record, helping him to believe that he could do it too. Imagine the 10 year old le Clos watching the 20 year old Phelps at Athens, sweeping the golds, least to say at Beijing when le Clos is slowly breaking into the scene. Phelps is his hero. Take a look a le Clos's facebook and there's only one picture, and it's of him and Phelps. I really love what Phelps said to le Clos. It's so epicly gracious. "I really enjoyed swimming with you these few years ... " Unless I remember it wrongly... you really got to start having the best heart to become one of the best person. :)))
And now to le Clos, the boy whom I have been rooting for since seeing him shine ever so brightly at the YOG. He was leading at first, and the local commentator said something about how youngsters would always start fast. Phelps led after the first 100m and le Clos chased fiercely behind. It looks like Phelps is going to make history even sweeter, but in the last 5m, le Clos and Phelps is head to head and le Clos took the extra stroke to finish first. How he roared in the pool. That's some pure, innocent, uncensored joy that I've yet to seen for sometime. Shortly after his out burst, he realized what he had achieved and broke down. Lips shaking, tears streaming, trying his best to keep the tears to himself but he can't. The only person to ever beat Phelps in the 200m Butterfly since 2000.
What a night.
xoxo
