The Phelps Vs. Le Clos Redemption Story
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The Phelps Vs. Le Clos Redemption Story

Rio 2016. From The Ready Room to the pool, redemption is sweet, but a gold medal is the sweetest of all.

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The Phelps Vs. Le Clos Redemption Story
Rio Olympics

“He does his thing, I do mine.”

It is August 2012 in the city of London. The scene is the final race of a men’s swimming event. The race is the 200 meter butterfly stroke. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, is poised and expected to win his nineteenth gold medal. All that stands in his way are four pool lengths, something that the swimmer does not even flinch at. Joining Phelps in the final race were swimmers from Japan, Poland, China, Austria, and Serbia, all looking to dethrone the three-time gold medalist in the event. But none were more competition for the favorite Phelps than Chad Le Clos of South Africa. From the moment the two stepped into block, their relationship turned from the status of friends to rivals and never turned back.

Chad Le Clos out-touched Michael Phelps by mere hundredths of a second in the closing meters of the 200 fly, and from the viewpoint of watchers all around the world, it actually looked like Phelps had won the nail-biter of a race, but the time-clock said differently. Le Clos had dethroned the reigning champion, forcing him down one step on the podium as South Africa’s anthem blared through the speakers instead of the USA’s National Anthem, a staple of the even over the years. Many believe that Michael Phelps came out of “retirement” because of how the race had ended, admitting he had not properly trained for it and evidenced by the expression on his face in the pool seconds after he saw the results. Others believe he just wanted to add to his medal count, and yet others believed it was for his love of the pool. Whatever the reason may be, Rio is going to see one of the greatest events of all-time, both in and out of the pool.

On the fourth day of the 2016 Rio Olympics themselves, and the third day of competition, Phelps and Le Clos were on their way to do battle for the first time since that fateful night London. Noe of the international competitions in the last four years had brought them face-to-face, head-to-head, and the entire audience was waiting on the edge of their seats for the rivals. Phelps came into the day with his nineteenth gold medal already under his belt from the night before after leading the USA to victory in the 400 meter relay. Le Clos came into the night with a near upset on his mind from events previous where he nearly booted Yang Sun from the podium in the 200 meter freestyle event earlier in the day. Both were hyped up and full of energy, trying to block out the stress and pressure of a true rivalry in the only ways they knew how.

Cameras were situated in the “Ready Room,” and caught much of the action that got chuckles out of the viewers, along with the commentators. The same cameras had caught Lilly King’s reaction to Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova proclaiming her number one status after the first heat of the event both women were competing, leading to King calling out the performance-enhancing drug user on live television after swimming a better time in the semifinals, and Katie Ledecky’s many priceless reactions to her incredible gold medal successes.

However, the cameras caught something a little more light-hearted and humorous this evening. Michael Phelps was minding his own business in a chair in the very back corner, headphones secured over his ears, bundled in his navy, red, and white warm-up, hood pulled up and staring stone-faced “at the swimmers in the heats before” him, as he told an NBC reporter after the semifinal race. Clearly, the great Michael Phelps was getting into his zone.

On the other hand, Chad Le Clos, dressed in his yellow and green warm-up suit, was anything but still and stone-faced. He had earbuds in his ears, connected to an assumed iPod in his pocket. Although the “Ready Room” is large enough to hold three full heats of swimmers (that equals twenty-four), Le Clos made it a point to never stray very far from Phelps and his seat, even going so far as to mimic a boxing routine in rhythm to his music, stepping between Phelps’ view of the screen more times than a few. Needless to say, the commentators got it right when Phelps’ normal, stone, in-the-zone face shifted the slightest to an “are you kidding me face?” Who could blame him, really? There were at most eight men in the room, and his number one rival on this night had to use the space closest to him? It was as though Le Clos read the minds of viewers believing he was doing it on purpose after finally completing his dance boxing routine and taking a seat, right in front of Michael Phelps. Even though there was laughter from people around the world and the commentators, the race had not even started and the tension could already be cut with a knife.

Placed in lanes 3 and 5, just one in between them, the two swimmers followed their fellow competitors out to the blocks just minutes before the 9:54 p.m. EST start time. The entire two minutes, as the cameras panned from swimmer to swimmer, the only thing Phelps had his eyes on was the lane in front of him. On the other hand, Le Clos was still staring down his rival opponent (the wrong person to stare down, according to Bob Costas), not averting his eyes from Phelps’ direction until the call to set in the blocks was made. BANG!

After the first two pool lengths, Phelps had a substantial lead over Le Clos. In fact, he had over a body’s length lead over the whole pack. However, he most likely realized he had started off too hard and fast for a semifinal heat, and he faltered on his last turn, allowing the other swimmers to cut his lead in half. He did not provide the signature Phelps burst loyal watchers are used to in the last twenty-five meters, but still touched in second place, about a half a second before Le Clos, who touched in third and also qualified for the final race. The best part about this? Le Clos was continuing his stare down in the pool, as he lost precious time by looking up and to his left to see how far in front of him Phelps was. With the stage set and the two swimmers set to race in lanes directly next to each other, the next night’s race was already shaping up and memes of the “Ready Room” humor flooded the internet.

As the time drew near for the final race the next night, NBC cameras were drawn to the “Ready Room,” splitting the screen as long as they could before a women’s final. The swimmers were near the blocks not long after the women’s race ended, and Le Clos was staring down Phelps for as long as he could until Phelps was right next to him in his own lane. From that point, the two stood with their bodies angled away from each other.

After a restart due to crowd noise, the moment everyone had been for over the last twenty-four hours was about to start. After the first 50 meters, Phelps was in second place with Le Clos not far behind in fourth. After the second pool length, the same places were held and it looked as if there may be a repeat of the semifinal, but then then Phelps nailed his second turn. He pulled ahead by the end of the third pool length, and although his turn looked extremely sloppy and as though he was running headfirst into the wall, it actually was perfect and he had the lead in the last lap. Le Clos was closing in behind him, as was Cseh, from Hungary, and as the final meters were covered, it was too close for anyone to not be a bundle nerves waiting for the wall to be hit and the name to show up on the screen. It seemed like an eternity for the numbers to pop up, but when they did…Michael Phelps had done it. He had taken back his crown in the 31st Olympic Games in the 200 meter butterfly stroke, and Chad Le Clos, you ask? Chad Le Clos did not even make the podium.

So, the legend of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time continues. This time, Phelps can leave Rio with a sense of accomplishment instead of one of sheer disappointment and self-blame, because once again, he is the king of his signature stroke.

Revenge is sweet. Redemption is sweeter. But a gold medal is the sweetest of all.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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