In this world, there is nothing that last forever. Everything that is born into this world will at some point grow old and wither away. There are examples like the dinosaurs and the British Empire that had the appearance that they were so large and powerful that it seemed impossible for them to fail but they failed anyways. All we have of dinosaurs is there bones and oil, and the British Empire is limited to a fraction of an island. With all this in mind, why does it seems as if Michael Phelps will never come down form the Olympic swimming throne he has occupied for the last 16 years?
Michael Phelps first appeared in the 2000 Olympic swimming events. Here, he was only 15 year olds. He made a statement by finishing 5th in the 200-meter butterfly. From a spectator’s point of view, it is easy to say that it does not matter because he did not even medal. But he was 15. Most 15-year-olds are busy trying to hit on girls and learn to drive. Meanwhile, Phelps was competing against the best swimmers on the biggest stage. In his next three Olympics, Phelps showed no mercy in the world of swimming and would win a total 22 medals. Phelps retired after the 2012 London Olympics but by 2014 he was back in the pool prepping for 2016 Rio Olympics.
As of August 12th, Michael Phelps has won 27 Olympic medals (5 medals in the current Olympics). With this medal count, he is the most decorated Olympic athlete ever. Behind him is gymnast Larisa Latyina from the Soviet Union. Between the years 1956 and 1964, she won 18 medals. Phelps surpassed her in the previous Olympics in London and continued to extend his lead since. Phelps has even larger lead in Olympic gold medals with 22 which is 13 more the Latyina. Hence, Phelps has been a successful competitor in Olympic swimming and has done it in a dominating fashion.
Even more impressive is his performance in the current Olympics. Phelps is not out there competing in an insane amount of events or smashing world record times like in previous Olympics. What is impressive is that he still winning events in fifth Olympics. After 16 years, he has managed to stay motivated to continue to train for a sport as strenuous as swimming. In these Olympics, he has won 5 medals which ties him with Katie Ledecky for the medal lead. This shows that even at his age and a retirement stint from the sport, he is still one of the top athletes in the Olympics. Like in Athens, Beijing, and London, Phelps is continuing to awe crowds by winning multiple events in dominating fashion.
Michael Phelps will go down as the greatest Olympian of our generation. His entrance to swimming at a young age, legendary performances, and continued perseverance will solidify this title for him. One day he maybe be surpassed and become irrelevant like the dinosaurs and British Empire but for now, let’s embrace his greatness and learn from his competitive attitude.