It was the moment the USA was waiting for: the epic showdown, four years in the making, between South Africa’s Chad le Clos and America’s hero, Michael Phelps, in the 200-meter butterfly. With the blow of the whistle, both men, along with six other highly qualified swimmers, finished their stretches and took to the starting blocks. With the sound of the official buzzer, the men were off. The rest was literally history, with Michael Phelps walking out of the pool with his 14th individual Olympic gold medal and 24th Olympic medal of all time. However, at 31 this was still no miracle. Let’s take it back four years ago. Year: 2012. Location: London.
Despite suffering a harrowing defeat to le Clos in the 200-meter butterfly final at the London Games, Michael Phelps came out of the London Olympic Games with six medals, four of them gold. It was after this that Phelps announced his retirement, a shock to the swimming world as well as to the American people.
I personally remember people saying, “He could never retire. He’s Michael Phelps.” What seemed like an end of an era and a low hum in the swimming community, was disturbed by a monstrous ripple in April 2014 when America’s champ announced to the world that he would compete again. It was at this moment where the buzz between the Phelps/le Clos matchup picked up steam once again. “He’ll be 31 in 2016, he possibly could not do it.” Or could he?
At the 2016 US Olympic Trials, Phelps won the 200m butterfly, the 100m butterfly, and the 200 individual medley to become the first American male swimmer to qualify for a staggering fifth Olympics. Now, for sure, the Phelps/le Clos matchup was inevitable. With both men cruising through the preliminaries and semifinals, the matchup was set. For Phelps, 31, it was a do or die situation. He had to defeat his opponent in order to be at peace with not only this rivalry, but also more importantly, himself. At the end of the day it was Phelps who posted a time of 1:53.36 to take the gold and bask in the rays of eternal Olympic glory.
As a citizen of the United States, I would personally like to thank Michael Phelps for his unwavering dedication and perseverance toward the sport that he loves. At 31, to have 24 Olympic medals (and hopefully some more) is a feat that should not be undermined. To many eyewitnesses, the 200m butterfly in Rio may have been just another race, but it should be one that is cherished for a lifetime due to its underlying story and the enduring passion of Michael Phelps.
