Coordinates	38°01′47″N84°29′41″N
{{infobox magazine | title	Swimming World | image_file SwimmingWorldMagazineMasthead Swiminfo xsmall.jpg | image_size 200px | editor Bob Ingram | frequency Monthly | circulation 50,000 / month | category Sport magazine | company Sports Publications International | firstdate January 1960 | country | language English | website www.swimmingworldmagazine.com | issn }}

''Swimming World Magazine'' is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as ''Junior Swimmer'' in January of 1960. It runs an online swimming website (known as SwimInfo prior to 2006), which is the leading online swimming news website .

In its earliest form, ''Junior Swimmer'' began as a mimeograph/newsletter published by Peter Daland in the summer of 1952. In 1960, Coach Daland passed the responsibility of the project to Albert Schoenfeld due to Daland's greater coaching demands as the swim coach at the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

The publication then combined with ''Swimming World'' in June 1961. ''Swimming World'' was a mimeograph/newsletter published for the previous 10 years by Robert J. H. Kiphuth. The newly constituted magazine was then known as ''Junior Swimmer-Swimming World''.

The magazine has a monthly publication rate of roughly 50,000 issues. It also has correspondents in Europe and Australia, and keeps track of all major FINA-sanctioned competitions, as well as tabulating extensive records of competitions ranging from junior to masters level swimming. It also provides advice on health related and technique issues for people with an interest in swimming.

It is also well known for awarding "Swimmer of the Year" awards in various categories. The award is often prestigiously referred to in the media as "World Swimmer of the Year" when referring to swimmers who have been awarded the honor, and is often assumed to be the most prestigious award available to current swimmers.

It is also known for its strident condemnation of Chinese and East German swimming programs, which have been suspected of being involved in systemic drug abuse.

The magazine also honors the top high school swim teams and swimmers in the country on an annual basis.

See also

Swimming World Swimmers of the Year

Swimming World High School Teams of the Year

References

External links

Website www.swiminfo.com or www.swimmingworldmagazine.com

Category:American sports magazines Category:Swimming media

ca:Swimming World Magazine es:Swimming World Magazine fr:Swimming World Magazine it:Swimming World Magazine sv:Swimming World Magazine

Coordinates	38°01′47″N84°29′41″N
name	Diana Nyad
college	Lake Forest College
fullname	Diana Nyad
nationality
birth date	August 22, 1949
birth place	New York, New York
death place	}}

Diana Nyad (born August 22, 1949 in New York City) is a former world record-holding American swimmer and public radio contributor.

Over two days in 1979, Nyad swam from Bimini to Florida, setting a distance record for non-stop swimming without a wetsuit that still stands today. She broke numerous world records, including the 45-year-old mark for circling Manhattan Island (7 hrs, 57 min) in 1975. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1986. Nyad was honored with her induction in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2003.

She currently provides a weekly five-minute radio piece on sports for KCRW called ''The Score'' (heard during KCRW's broadcast of NPR's "All Things Considered"), as well as for the Marketplace radio program. She formerly hosted the public radio program "The Savvy Traveler."

Nyad graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Lake Forest College in 1973.

Nyad told a reporter that today--in contrast to her youth--her drive is no longer propelled by attempts to work through the anger manifest from sexual abuse she suffered as a teenager.

On July 8, 2011, the U.S. gay sports website CompeteNetwork reported on her plans for the 2011 Cuba-to-Florida swim, writing that "(the) amazing Diana Nyad is a living legend in the swim world, and a role model for the GBLT community, being openly lesbian."

Swimming accomplishments

Born in New York City in August 1949 to stockbroker William Sneed and his wife Lucy Curtis. Her father died when she was three and her mother soon remarried Aristotle Nyad, a Greek land developer, who adopted Diana. The family then moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where she grew up and began swimming seriously in grade seven. She was enrolled at the elite Pine Crest School in the mid-1960s, swimming under the tutelage of Olympian (and Hall of Fame) coach Jack Nelson. Before graduating she won three Florida state high school championships in the Backstroke (at 100 and 200 yards). She dreamed of swimming in the 1968 Summer Olympics, but in 1966 she spent three months in bed with endocarditis, an infection of the heart, and when she began swimming again she had lost her speed.

After graduating from Pine Crest School in 1967 she entered Emory University, but was thrown out of school for jumping out a fourth-floor dormitory window wearing a parachute. She then enrolled at Lake Forest College in Illinois, where she played tennis for the ''Foresters'' and resumed swimming, concentrating on distance events. She soon came to the attention of Buck Dawson, director of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida, who introduced her to marathon swimming. She began training at his Camp Ak-O-Mak in Ontario, Canada and set a women's world record of 4 hours and 22 minutes in her first race, a 10-mile swim in Lake Ontario in July 1970 (finishing 10th overall). After graduating from Lake Forest College (with degrees in English and French), Nyad returned to south Florida to continue training with Dawson.

Diana Nyad was inducted into the United States' National Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, and in 2003 was honored with her induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. According to her "Speaker Bio" posted for the ''Gold Star Speakers Bureau'' in 2006, she is also a Hall of Famer at both her college, Lake Forest College in Illinois (where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa), and at her (private) high school, Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida).

Diana is not only a world-class distance swimmer but is also an accomplished athlete who once ranked 30th amongst U.S. women squash players (date not given).

Distance swims

1970: At age 20, Nyad's marathon swimming career began in July 1970, when she set the women's world record for the 10-mile swim across Lake Ontario, in four hours and 22 minutes.

1974: In June 1974 flew to Italy and entered the 22-mile Bay of Naples race, setting another women's record of 8 hours, 11 minutes.

1975: At age 26, Nyad made national headlines by swimming 28 miles around the island of Manhattan (New York City) in just under 8 hours (7 hours 57 minutes.) An account of her swim, published the next day, stated Nyad was "5 feet six inches tall" and weighed 128 pounds.

1978: At age 28 she first attempted to swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West. Diving into the ocean at 2PM on Sunday 13 August from Ortegosa Beach (50 miles west of Havana), she swam inside a 20 X 40 foot steel shark cage for nearly 42 hours, before team doctors removed her during the 7 o'clock hour on the morning of Tuesday 15 August due to strong Westerly winds and 8-foot swells that were slamming her against the cage and pushing her off-course towards Texas. She had covered about 76 miles, but not in a straight line.

1979: In what was to be her last "competitive" swim on her 30th birthday (21-22 August 1979), she set a world record for distance swimming (both men and women) over open water by swimming 102 miles from North Bimini Island, Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida (without the use of protective shark cage). Thanks to favorable winds and a following sea she averaged 3.7 miles per hour and completed the swim in 27 and one-half hours.

Several experts who attended the 2011 Global Open Water Swimming Conference in New York City on 17-19 June 2011 expressed their strong belief that Nyad had both the physical ability and, more importantly, the positive mental stamina to be able to complete the Cuba-to-Florida swim: sports physiology studies have shown that in "extreme" marathon-type activities mental determination is a more important factor than the physical energy of youth. Research published by the Mayo Clinic in 2008 indicates there are beneficial effects of endurance training on age-related cellular dysfunction.

Cuba-to-Florida swim

By early January 2010 Nyad determined to begin working out for a summer attempt to swim from Cuba-to-Florida. Taking up residence in the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, from January through June she began doing 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-hour swims every other week. Then she moved her training to Key west and, while waiting for favorable weather conditions she embarked on a 24-hour swim. On 10 July she chartered a 35-foot fishing vessel to take her 40 miles out to sea. At 8:19 AM she jumped overboard and began swimming back towards Key West, with the boat following her. At 8:19 AM the next day her handlers helped her back onboard, still about 10 miles from land: she said she felt "tired and dehydrated" but still "strong" and "easily able to swim another 20 hours without any problem."

On July 10, 2010, at the age of 60, she began open water training for a 60-hour, 103-mile swim from Cuba to Florida, a task she had failed to finish thirty years previously. When asked her motivation, she replied, "Because I'd like to prove to the other 60-year-olds that it is never too late to start your dreams." She was scheduled to make the swim in August/September 2010, but bad weather forced her to cancel; she then planned to do the swim in July 2011. In a 15 October 2010 interview with ''CNN'', Nyad said she was trained and ready to swim by July 23, but a record stretch of high winds and dropping water temperatures prevented her from making the attempt.

While training in St. Maarten, she sat for an interview that was published 25 March 2011 by the island's online news agency, ''The Daily Herald'', remarking that "It's a large operation, like an expedition. We've got about 25 people, navigators, managers, boat crew, weather routers, medical people, shark experts, you name it. That's the time also when the water starts to get to its hottest. I need the hottest possible ocean. As soon as we hit the right forecast, we'll be off to Havana. We won't know the exact starting point probably until the night before. And we don't know exactly where landfall will be...I'd love to wind up in Key West, but it will depend on trajectory of the Gulf Stream."

Interviewed by the New York Times in Key West on 18 July, Nyad estimated that cost of her "expedition" was about $500,000.

The Swim Begins August 7, 2011

Diana Nyad announced Sunday morning August 7, 2011, at a Havana news conference, that she planned to enter the water at Havana's Marina Hemingway to begin her attempt. She entered the water later that evening at 7:45PM (Eastern) and began stroking for Florida. A news team from CNN was onboard her support ship and provided live coverage of her swim: CNN is the only major news organization that is covering the swim as it happens. Nyad stopped her attempt early in the morning on August 9 - at 12:45AM, exactly 29 hours in the water - after encountering strong currents and winds that pushed her miles off course (to the east). Nyad also said she had been suffering shoulder pain since her third hour in the water, but what made her abandon the effort was a flare-up of her asthma, such that, throughout the final hour, she could only swim a few strokes before repeatedly having to roll on her back to catch her breath.

Physical conditions

Nyad moved her training site from the Caribbean island of St. Maarten to Key West, Florida, in June 2011. She was joined by key members of her support team on June 28, to wait for ideal weather conditions that typically occur only during the summer doldrums in July and August. For the marathon swim to be feasible, two main weather conditions needed to come together at the same time: a combination of low-to-light winds (to minimize sea chop), and water temperatures in the high 80s. These relatively "high" water temperatures will produce a twin challenge: in the first half of her swim the warm water will dehydrate her body, while in the second half her body temperature will drop and she will face potential hypothermia. Nyad has bulked up her physique to about 150 pounds (15 pounds more than she weighed in 2010) to help counter the loss of body mass during her grueling swim.

To help fend off possible attacks by sharks, Nyad was escorted by a paddler in a kayak equipped with an electronic shark repellent, Protective Oceanic Device.

To keep Nyad swimming in a straight line, her specially designed, slow-moving catamaran support boat deployed a 3-meter (18-20 feet) streamer: a long pole keeps the streamer several yards away from the boat, and the streamer is designed to remain about 5 feet underwater, so that Nyad can swim above it, much like following a lane line in a swimming pool. At night, the white streamer will be replaced by a string of red LED lights. Writing in her blog in July 2011, Nyad stated that the development of the submerged guide streamer, in early summer 2011, may be the single greatest aid to her marathon swim. In all of her previous swims, she had trouble keeping the support boat in sight and was prone to veer off-course. Keeping a boat headed in a straight line, in the ocean, while moving at only 1 to 2 knots is very difficult, and her catamaran is equipped with thrusters and a special sea anchor (in case of following seas) to stabilize its course.

Support team

Nyad has assembled a team of 25 persons to support her during the swim. The people responsible for selecting the date to begin the swim are husband-and-wife scientists Dane and Jenifer Clark from Annapolis, Maryland. Dane is a meteorologist, Jenifer is a satellite oceanographer, and they are acknowledged as experts on Gulf Stream conditions. Her physician during training and accompanying her on the swim is Dr. Michael S. Broder. The Clarks will analyze satellite weather and ocean data to select the best three-day "window of opportunity" to find the right combination of favorable winds and the warmest water temperatures. Nyad wrote in her blog that Gulf water temperatures had been rising steadily through early July 2011, but that as of 11 July had tapered off at 84 degrees, and she required a minimum of 86 degrees, with even warmer water inside the Gulf Stream current, to begin her swim.

End of Swim

Nyad had to give up her swim on August 9th. After the aborted effort, Nyad was quoted as saying, "I may have ended this swim, but I'll never give up diving."

Professional writing and speaking career

Diana Nyad has written three books, ''Other Shores'' (Random House: September 1978) about her life and distance swimming, ''Basic Training for Women'' (Harmony Books: 1981), and in 1999 she wrote a biography of an NFL wide-receiver ''Boss of Me: The Keyshawn Johnson Story''. She has also written for ''The New York Times'', ''Newsweek'' magazine, and other publications. Diana and her best friend Bonnie Stoll (former #3 in the world on the Pro Racquetball Tour) have formed a company called BravaBody which is aimed at providing online exercise advice to women over 40, with the two world-class athletes giving direct inspiration and custom-made work-outs. As of 2006, she also delivered motivational talks to groups through the Gold Star speakers agency, for a fee of between $10,000 to $15,000. As of 2006, she was a (long-time) weekly contributor to National Public Radio's afternoon news show ''All Things Considered'' (appearing on Thursdays), as well as the "business of sport" commentator for American Public Media's public radio program ''Marketplace'' business news. She was also a regular contributor to the CBS News television show ''Sunday Morning''.

In her 1978 autobiography Nyad described marathon swimming as a battle for survival against a brutal foe - the sea - and the only victory possible is to "touch the other shore."

An analysis of Nyad's ability to disassociate her mind during her marathon swims can be found in the 2008 book ''Sporting Lives: Metaphor and Myth in American Sports Autobiographies'' by Jame W. Pipkin (Univ. of Missouri Press: 2008); Diana Nyad pp. 90-92.

References

External links

Diana Nyad Xtreme Dream blog

Official bio on American Public Media

Sports Illustrated, 28 August 1978; "An Ill Wind That Blew No Good"

Sports Complex: Talk of The Times; 1999 event at San Francisco Public Library, Nyad speaks about her childhood

Category:1949 births Category:American Public Media Category:American swimmers Category:Lake Forest College alumni Category:Lesbian sportspeople Category:LGBT sportspeople from the United States Category:Long-distance swimmers Category:People from New York City Category:Living people

Coordinates	38°01′47″N84°29′41″N
name	Leisel Jones
fullname	Leisel Marie Jones
nicknames	Diesel
nationality
strokes	Breaststroke
club	Melbourne Vicentre
birth date	August 30, 1985
birth place	Katherine, Northern Territory
height
weight
medaltemplates	}}

}}

Leisel Marie Jones OAM (born 30 August 1985 in Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia) is an Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer. A participant in the 2000 Summer Olympics – at just 15 years old – and 2004 Summer Olympics, she was part of gold medal winning Australian team in the women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the Athens Games in 2004 and a gold medalist for 100 meter breaststroke in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

She is noted for employing a classical breaststroke technique, typified by a slow but deeper stroke cycle and also by her slow starts. Along with South African champion Penny Heyns, Jones is highly regarded as one of the greatest breaststroke swimmers ever.

Personal

While at Southern Cross Catholic College, Jones used to train at the Redcliffe club in Scarborough, Queensland, and was coached by Ken Wood. Her training partners included fellow Australian team members, Geoff Huegill and Jessicah Schipper. After her disappointing campaign in Athens, Jones moved to train at the Fortitude Valley Pool in Brisbane, Australia, alongside Libby Lenton, under Swiss-born coach Stephan Widmar at the Commercial Swimming Club. Following the move, Jones began to speak openly about the depression and self-esteem issues that had plagued her following her being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age. This and the successes that followed endeared her to an Australian public that had been critical of her attitude following her failure to capture individual gold in Athens. Some, including swimming legend Dawn Fraser, believed Jones had acted immaturely and ungratefully, particularly in her indifferent displays of emotion during post-race interviews and medal ceremonies.

In 2009, Jones became the new face of the WSPA (Australia & New Zealand) anti-whaling campaign.

Career

Jones was selected for the Australian team at just 14 years of age, qualifying in the 100 m breaststroke by winning the event at the Australian Championships in May 2000 in Sydney, ending the international career of former world champion Samantha Riley.

2000 Olympics

She swam a personal best in the final at the Sydney Olympics to claim an unexpected silver medal behind American Megan Quann. She also combined with Dyana Calub, Petria Thomas and Susie O'Neill in the 4×100 m medley relay to win silver, again behind the Americans. Jones left school aged 15 to concentrate on swimming.

At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and Jones was now one of the established swimmers and expected to win medals, but finished second to China's Luo Xuejuan. It also marked her international debut in the 200 m breaststroke, where she came fourth place (2:25.46s). She also collected a gold in the medley relay alongside Calub, Thomas and Sarah Ryan, the first time that the United States had been beaten at world or Olympic level in this event, excluding the systemically doped East German and Chinese teams.

In 2002, she claimed her first titles on the international arena, claiming the breaststroke double at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Australia also won the medley relay.

In 2003, Jones set an Australian record in the 200 m individual medley earlier in the year, in an experimental event. Later at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain, she started confidently, setting a world record in the semifinals of the 100 m breaststroke (1:06.37s). However, she succumbed to nerves in the final and came third, with Luo again winning the event. She also achieved a silver in the 200 m breaststroke in Barcelona, behind Amanda Beard in (2:24.33s). She collected a bronze in the medley relay.

In the month leading up to the Athens Olympics, Jones set a world record (2:22.96) in the 200 m breaststroke in a meet in Brisbane, Australia. This led to high expectations of an even better performance in Athens, as Jones had not been rested prior to swimming the world record. However, it was reclaimed by Beard at the US Olympic trials only a few days later.

2004 Olympics

In Athens, Jones was again the quickest qualifier of the 100 m breaststroke, after setting an Olympic record (1:06.78) in the semifinals. However, in the final she finished in the bronze position, again behind by Luo Xuejuan. Jones made a poor start off the blocks and was unable to recover. In the 200 m event, she attempted to take an attacking approach, but faded in the last 50 m and was pipped to the wall by Amanda Beard, winning silver. Australia went on the win the medley relay, giving Jones her first Olympic gold.

Jones' world record in the 100 m breaststroke was broken at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, Canada by Jessica Hardy of the United States in 1:06.20, again in the semifinal. However, this time the expectations turned to Hardy and Jones turned the tables and beat her to the wall, breaking through for her first win at world or Olympic level. Later in the week, having exorcised her demons, she broke the world record for the 200 m breaststroke (2:21.72s), on 29 July 2005. In the process she won the gold medal, leaving her rivals more than six metres behind. Australia and Jones won the medley relay easily.

For her efforts she was named by Swimming World magazine as the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 2005.

The changes which occurred in 2005 continued to pay off at the Australian Commonwealth Games Swimming Trials in early 2006 where Jones broke her personal best time in the 50 m (30.85) and took 1.18 seconds off her previous world record in the 200 m breaststroke (2.20:54). She was almost two seconds clear of the then second fastest swimmer in the event's history, Amanda Beard. On Day 5 of the Australian Nationals, Jones also gained a new world record in the 100 m breaststroke final. Jones won the Australian championship in a time of 1:05.71 which lowered the previous mark by 0.49 s.

Jones completed a clean sweep of the breaststroke events (50 m, 100 m and 200 m) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the only time this has been achieved in the breaststroke events in the games' history. In the butterfly events (50m, 100 m and 200m) at the 2002 Manchester Games, Petria Thomas was the first swimmer in Commonwealth Games history to complete a clean sweep. The 50 m events were introduced at the Manchester Games. In the 50 m breaststroke, an event she had only recently begun competing in, she defeated the reigning world champion and world record holder Jade Edmistone. She later won another gold in the 200 m breaststroke and completed the sweep with the gold medal in the 100 m in a world record time of 1:05.09 – an effort that saw her own world record reduced 0.62 s and was declared "Beamonesque" by aquatics journalist Craig Lord, a reference to Bob Beamon's legendary long jump at the Mexico City Olympics. A fourth gold medal in world record time in the 4×100 m medley relay with Sophie Edington, Jessicah Schipper and Libby Lenton rounded off her Commonwealth Games.

In 2007, she competed in the World Championships and won the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke and the 4 × 100 m medley relay, setting a world record in the relay. She also won silver in the 50 m breaststroke. She then left Brisbane and Widmer to move to Melbourne to train under Rohan Taylor, so that she could live with her fiancé Marty Pask, an Australian rules footballer with the Western Bulldogs who was delisted at the end of 2007. Her dissolution of a successful partnership raised eyebrows and many questioned whether putting her personal life ahead of a proven competitive formula would backfire in the pool.

In early 2008, she won the breaststroke double at the 2008 Australian Swimming Championships to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

Although missing the World Short Course Championships in Manchester due to the preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics she broke her own world record over 100 m breaststroke (SC) in 1:03,72 at the Telstra Grand Prix in Canberra.

2008 Olympics

Jones won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in 100 breaststroke, touching the line a full body length ahead of her rival. Her time of 1:05.17 was 1.66 s faster than the silver medalist Rebecca Soni. While she was the favorite to win in the 200 breaststroke, she was upset by American Rebecca Soni, who won gold in world record time. Jones took the silver. Leisel also won a gold medal in the 4×100m medley relay, with the Australian team breaking the previous world record by three seconds.

Jones was awarded the Telstra Swimmer Of The Year award as part of the year's international all-star team, in Sydney in October 2008.

At the World Cup meeting at Berlin, Germany, Jones set world records in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke (short course). Jones had a low key year and opted out of the World Championships.

Potential 4th Olympics

Jones has confirmed that she is aiming for the 2012 Olympics in London and competed at the Pan Pacific Championships and the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Jones confirmed her place on these teams by winning the 50, 100, and the 200 m breaststroke at the 2010 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships.

At the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California, Jones collected 3 silver and a bronze. She competed in the 50m breaststroke (bronze) 100m breaststroke (silver), 200m breaststroke (silver), and the 4×100 medley relay (silver) events. In all four of events, she was behind the Americans; in the 50 m she was behind Jessica Hardy and fellow Australian Leiston Pickett and in the 100 and 200 m she was behind Rebecca Soni.

See also

World record progression 100 metres breaststroke

World record progression 200 metres breaststroke

List of world records in swimming

Commonwealth Games records in swimming

List of Australian records in swimming

References

External links

– Leisel Jones website

Penelope Heyns Jessica Hardy|title=Women's 100 metre breaststrokeworld record holder (long course)|years=21 July 2003 – 25 July 20053 February 2006 – 27 July 2009|after= Jessica Hardy Rebecca Soni|rec}} Amanda Beard Amanda Beard|title=Women's 200 metre breaststrokeworld record holder (long course)|years=10 July 2004 – 12 July 200429 July 2005 – 15 August 2008|after= Amanda Beard Rebecca Soni|rec}} Yana Klochkova|after= Laure Manaudou|years= 2005–2006}} Petria Thomas Jodie Henry|after= Jodie Henry Libby Lenton|years=20032005 – 2006}} László Cseh|title=Mare Nostrum Tour Overall Winner|years=2006|after= Tara Kirk}}

Category:Female medley swimmers Category:Female breaststroke swimmers Category:Former world record holders in swimming Category:Olympic swimmers of Australia Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists for Australia Category:Olympic silver medalists for Australia Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Australia Category:Swimming World World Swimmers of the Year Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Commercial Swimming Club swimmers Category:Sportspeople from the Northern Territory Category:Australian Swimmers of the Year Category:Swimmers at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Category:Swimmers at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:Swimmers at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Category:Olympic medalists in swimming Category:Swimming World Pacific Rim Swimmers of the Year

ca:Leisel Jones cs:Leisel Jonesová de:Leisel Jones et:Leisel Jones es:Leisel Jones fr:Leisel Jones hr:Leisel Jones it:Leisel Jones he:לייזל ג'ונס lv:Leisela Džonsa nl:Leisel Jones ja:リーゼル・ジョーンズ no:Leisel Jones pl:Leisel Jones pt:Leisel Jones fi:Leisel Jones sv:Leisel Jones uk:Лісель Джонс wuu:莱索尔 强斯 zh:莱塞尔·琼斯

Guillaume Néry (born 11 July 1982) is a French free-diver specialised in Constant Weight free-diving.

He broke the world record in 2002 at -87 meters in the Villefranche-sur-Mer harbour, in Alpes-Maritimes, France. Then, in 2004, he pushed the record to -96 meters in Saint-Leu, la Réunion. On September 6, 2006, he broke the record again at -109 meters in Nice (this record was subsequently broken by Herbert Nitsch at -112 meters in November 2007).

On July 3, 2008, Aaron Butel and Partners Ltd dove to -113 meters and set a new world record.

On April 4, 2010, Herbert Nitsch beat Aaron Butel and dove to -124 meters a new world record in Bahamas.

References

External links

Video documenting the -109 meter free-dive

Video of "Base Jumping" underwater at Dean's Blue Hole

Official website (French)

Category:French free-divers Category:Living people Category:1982 births

fr:Guillaume Néry ru:Нери, Гийом

Coordinates	38°01′47″N84°29′41″N
name	Michael Phelps
fullname	Michael Fred Phelps
nicknames	MP; The Baltimore Bullet
nationality	USA
strokes	Backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, individual medley
club	North Baltimore Aquatic Club
birth date	June 30, 1985
birth place	Baltimore, Maryland
height
medaltemplates	}}

}}

Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985) is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions. In doing so he has twice equaled the record eight medals of any type at a single Olympics achieved by Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. His five golds in individual events tied the single Games record set by compatriot Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics; his eight at the 2008 Beijing Games surpassed American swimmer Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at Munich in 1972. Phelps' Olympic medal total is second only to the 18 Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won over three Olympics, including nine gold. Furthermore, he holds the all-time record for most individual gold Olympic medals, at nine.

Phelps's international titles and record breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award six times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eight times. He has won a total of sixty-six medals in major international competition, fifty-four gold, nine silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's Sportsman of the Year award.

After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. As a participant in the US Anti-Doping Agency's "Project Believe" program, Phelps is regularly tested to ensure that his system is clean of performance-enhancing drugs.

Early life

Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of Towson, Maryland, located just outside of Baltimore City. His father, Fred, was a football player in high school and almost made the team for the Washington Redskins. His mother Deborah "Debbie" Phelps is a middle school principal. When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Phelps trained at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman and excelled as a swimmer. By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Phelps' rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15 and becoming the youngest male to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200 m butterfly.

At the World Championship Trials for the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, on 22 July, Phelps broke the world record in the 200 m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record, breaking the record previously held by Ian Thorpe when he lowered the 400 m freestyle world record at 16 years, 10 months. At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Phelps broke his own world record in the 200 m butterfly en route to becoming a world champion for the first time.

2002 Pan Pacific Championships

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At Nationals, the selection meet for the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, in Fort Lauderdale, Phelps set an American record in the 200 m individual medley and was just off the world record in the 200 m butterfly. In the 400 m individual medley, Phelps bettered the world record held by Tom Dolan with a time of 4:11.09, just ahead of Erik Vendt, who finished second with a time of 4:11.27, also below the old world record. In the 200 m freestyle, Phelps was barely beaten by Klete Keller and in the 100 m butterfly, Phelps beat Ian Crocker.

At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Phelps won three gold medals and two silvers. In his first event, the 400 m individual medley, Phelps won gold ahead of Erik Vent with a time of 4:12.48. In the 200 m butterfly, Phelps lost to Tom Malchow, finishing behind him 1:55.41 to 1:55.21. Phelps said he lost because he did not take butterfly training seriously after he broke the world record. In the 200 m individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:59.70. In the 4×200 m freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Nate Dusing, Klete Keller, and Chad Carvin won the silver medal with a time 7:11.81 finishing behind Australia. The U.S. 4×100 m medley relay team consisted of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps, and Ian Crocker. In the final for the medley relay, Phelps swam a 51.1 split, at the time the fastest split in history. The final time of 3:33.48 was a world record.

2003 World Championships

At Nationals, Phelps won the 200 m freestyle, 200 m backstroke, and the 100 m butterfly. He became the first American swimmer to win three different races in three different strokes at a national championship. At a meet in Santa Clara, Phelps broke the world record in the 200 m individual medley with a time of 1:57.94. Phelps said he broke the 200 m individual medley world record after Don Talbot said Phelps was unproven, using his words as motivation.

At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won four gold medals, two silver medals, and broke five world records. Phelps broke his first world record on July 22 in the semi-finals for the 200 m butterfly. Phelps swam a 1:53.93 to break his own world record of 1:54.58 set in 2001 and became the first man to swim under 1:54.00. In the final of the 200 m butterfly, on July 23, Phelps easily won the gold medal, but did not come close to his world record with a time of 1:54.35. Less than an hour later, Phelps swam the lead-off leg for the 4×200 m freestyle relay. Phelps put up a solid time of 1:46.60 (an American record) but the Americans could not match the depth of the Australians and ultimately finished second 7:10.26 to 7:08.58. In the 200 m individual medley, Phelps showed complete dominance. On July 24, in the semifinals of the 200 m IM, Phelps broke his own world record with a time of 1:57.52. On July 25, in the final of the 200 m IM, Phelps smashed his own record with a time of 1:56.04 to win the gold medal and finished almost 3 seconds ahead of Ian Thorpe. About an hour before the final of the 200 m IM, Phelps swam in the semifinals of the 100 m butterfly. Phelps again showed dominance, finishing in the top seed with a world record time of 51.47. However, in the final of the 100 m butterfly, on July 26, Ian Crocker erased Phelps' world record with a time of 50.98, to become the first man under 51 seconds. Phelps swam a 51.10 (also under his former world record) but had to settle for silver. In the final of the 400 m individual medley, on July 27, Phelps broke his own world record with a time of 4:09.09 to easily claim the gold medal. About half an hour later, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100 m medley relay. Phelps did not swim in the finals but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.

2004 Summer Olympics

Trials

At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Phelps competed in six events, including the 200 and 400 m IM, the 100 and 200 m butterfly, the 200 m freestyle, and the 200 m backstroke. In his first event, the 400 m individual medley, Phelps easily won with a world record time of 4:08.41. Two days later, in the 200 m freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:46.27, finishing sixth-tenths of a second ahead of Klete Keller. Phelps, however, was not pleased with the result and wanted to be in the 1:45s and was uncertain if he would swim the event in Athens. The following day, Phelps won in the 200 m butterfly with a time of 1:54.31, three seconds ahead of second place finisher Tom Malchow. After two days off, Phelps was back in the pool and finished second to Aaron Peirsol in the 200 m backstroke. Less than half an hour later, Phelps won the 200 m individual medley title ahead of Ryan Lochte by 2.70 seconds. The following day, Phelps finished second to Ian Crocker in the 100 m butterfly. Crocker won in a time of 50.76, a world record and 0.39 seconds ahead of Phelps. When the Trials were over, Phelps became the first person to qualify in six individual events for a U.S. Olympic team. However, Phelps dropped the 200 m backstroke to focus on the 200 m freestyle because he wanted to race Ian Thorpe.

Olympics

In his first event, the 400 m individual medley, Phelps won with a world record time of 4:08.26 to win his first Olympic gold medal. The following day, in the 4×100 m freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Ian Crocker, Neil Walker, and Jason Lezak, finished in third place with a time of 3:14.62. Crocker's lead-off time of 50.05 was the worst among the field and was blamed on sickness. In the event many were calling ''The Race of the Century'', held the following day, Phelps finished in third place behind Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband in the 200 m freestyle. Although this race ended the chance to match Spitz's record, Phelps had savored the challenge even though it was not his strongest event, saying "How can I be disappointed? I swam in a field with the two fastest freestylers of all time". In his fourth event, the 200 m butterfly, held the following day, Phelps finished first with a time of 1:54.04, breaking Tom Malchow's Olympic record. About an hour later, in the 4×200 m freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller, finished in first place with a time of 7:07.33. Two days later, in the 200 m individual medley, Phelps finished first with a time of 1:57.14, an Olympic record. In the 100 m butterfly final, held the following day, Phelps defeated American teammate Ian Crocker (who was holding the world record in the event at the time) by just 0.04 seconds with a time of 51.25. Traditionally, the Olympian who places highest in an individual event will be automatically given the corresponding leg of the 4×100 m medley relay. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into the medley relay but he deferred and Crocker swam instead. Phelps' gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends as well getting his final shot at a gold medal. In winning six gold and two bronze medals, Phelps, still a teenager, had the second-best performance ever at a single Olympics, behind Mark Spitz's seven gold medals in Munich in 1972. Also, he became the second male swimmer ever to win more than two individual titles at a single Games with four, tying Spitz's four from 1972.

2005 World Championships

At the 2005 World Championship Trials, Phelps decided to drop his specialty events, the 400 m individual medley and the 200 m butterfly, and experiment with the 400 m freestyle and the 100 m freestyle. Phelps went on to win the 400 m freestyle, the 200 m freestyle, the 100 m butterfly, the 100 m freestyle, and the 200 m individual medley at the Trials.

At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won a total of six medals, 5 golds and one silver. In the 400 m freestyle, Phelps did not make it past the preliminary heats and finished 18th overall with a time of 3:50.53. Later that day, in the 4×100 m freestyle relay, Phelps won his first gold in the Championships. Two days later, on July 26, Phelps won his second gold in the 200 m freestyle with a new American record time of 1:45.20, finishing ahead of Grant Hackett. Two days later, on July 28, Phelps finished 7th in the 100 m freestyle final. Later that day, Phelps won his third gold in the 200 m individual medley. On July 29, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller, won the gold in the 4×200 m freestyle relay with a time of 7:06.58. This was the fourth gold medal for Phelps. On July 30, Phelps swam in his last individual event, the 100 m butterfly. In the final, Phelps could not match the speed of Ian Crocker and had to settle for silver finishing 51.65 to 50.40. On July 31, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100 m medley relay. Phelps did not swim in the finals but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.

2006 Pan Pacific Championships

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At the 2006 National Championships, Phelps won a total of three events. In his first event, the 200 m butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 1:54.32. In his second event, the 100 m butterfly, Phelps just edged out Ian Crocker 51.51 to 51.73. In his third event, the 200 m individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:56.50, just ahead of Ryan Lochte's time of 1:56.78.

At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Victoria, Phelps won five gold medals and one silver. In his first event, the 200 m butterfly, Phelps won in a world record time of 1:53.80, his first world record in two years. In his second event, the 400 m individual medley, Phelps easily won with a time of 4:10.47, 3.38 seconds ahead of second place finisher Robert Margalis. In his third event, the 4×200 m freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller won the gold medal with a time 7:05.28. In his fourth event, the 200 m backstroke, Phelps won the silver medal, finishing behind Aaron Peirsol 1:56.81 to 1:54.44. In his fifth event, the 4×100 m freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak won the gold medal with a world record time 3:12.46. In his sixth event, the 200 m individual medley, Phelps won with a world record time of 1:55.84, breaking his record of 1:55.94 set in 2003.

2007 World Championships

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won seven gold medals, tying the record, and broke five world records. Phelps first gold medal came in the 4×100 m freestyle. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.42 and Neil Walker, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak each expanded the lead to win in a Championship record of 3:12.72, just missing the world record of 3:12.46 set last year. Phelps set his first world record in the Championships in the 200 m freestyle, his second race. Phelps won the gold ahead of Pieter van den Hoogenband and broke Ian Thorpe's six-year-old world record with a time of 1:43.86. For his third race, the 200 m butterfly, Phelps won the gold and bettered his own world record of 1:53.71 with a time of 1:52.09. For his fourth race, the 200 m individual medley, Phelps set his third world record with a time of 1:54.98, bettering his own world record time of 1:55.84 For his fifth race, the 4×200 m freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.36 as the American team of Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaay went on to win the gold medal and beat the previous world record set by Australia in 2001 with a time 7:03.24. For his sixth race, the 100 m butterfly, Phelps edged out Ian Crocker 50.77 to 50.82 to win his sixth gold medal. For his seventh event, the 400 m individual medley, Phelps won the gold medal in a world record time of 4:06.22, more than 3.5 second ahead of Ryan Lochte. The 4×100 m medley relay team would have competed in the final but received a disqualification for a false start during a changeover in the heats, ending Phelps chance of eight gold medals.

2008 Summer Olympics

Trials

At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Phelps competed in six individual events. In his first event the 400 m individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 4:06.22 with a time of 4:05.25. In his second event the 200 m freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.10, ahead of Peter Vanderkaay's time 1:45.85. In his third event the 100 m freestyle, Phelps placed second in his heat with a time of 47.92, ensuring him a spot on the relay. In his fourth event the 200 m butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 1:52.20. In his fifth event the 200 m individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 1:54.98 with a time of 1:54.80. In his sixth and final event the 100 m butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 50.89. When asked about his chances of winning eight gold medals in Beijing, Phelps said, "I am going to prepare for that meet just like I do every other meet ... There is only so much I can do in a month and then I am going to prepare myself the best that I can."

Olympics

Phelps set an Olympic record in the preliminary heats of the men's 400 m individual medley. He followed that up in the final by winning the gold medal, as well as breaking his previous world record by nearly two seconds.

Phelps swam the first leg of the men's 4×100 m freestyle relay in a time of 47.51 seconds (an American record for the 100 m freestyle), and won his second gold medal of the 2008 Olympics, as well as setting his second world record of the Olympics (3:08.24). Teammate Jason Lezak, after beginning the anchor leg more than half a body length behind Alain Bernard, managed to finish ahead of the second-place French team by eight hundredths of a second. The top five teams in the final finished ahead of the world record of 3:12.23 set the day before by the American B team in a preliminary heat.

For his third race, Phelps broke his previous world record in the 200 m freestyle by nearly a second and won his third gold medal. He also set his third world record at the Olympics, 1:42.96, winning by nearly two seconds over silver medalist Park Tae-Hwan. In this race, Phelps became only the fifth Olympic athlete in modern history to win nine gold medals, along with Mark Spitz, Larisa Latynina, Paavo Nurmi, and Carl Lewis. The next day, Phelps participated in two finals. In his first event, the 200 m butterfly, Phelps made it four gold medals and world records in four events by swimming the final in 1:52.03, defeating silver medalist László Cseh by almost seven-tenths of a second despite his goggles filling up with water and being unable to "see anything for the last 100 meters. This fourth gold medal was his tenth, and made him the all-time leader for most Olympic gold medals won by an individual in the modern Olympic era.

Less than one hour after his gold medal victory in the 200 m butterfly, Phelps swam the lead-off leg of the 4×200 m freestyle relay. With Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaay he won his fifth gold and set his fifth world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Melbourne, Australia, by more than four and a half seconds.

After taking a day off from finals (Phelps did swim in qualifying heats), Phelps won his sixth gold of the Beijing Games on August 15 by winning the 200 m individual medley with a world record time of 1:54.23, finishing ahead of Cseh by over two seconds.

7th gold medal and controversy

Before the final of the 100 m butterfly, Serbian-American swimmer Milorad Čavić caused a minor stir when he said it would be "good" if Phelps lost. "It'd be good for him if he loses. It would be nice if historians talk about Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals and losing the eight to 'some guy.' I'd like to be that guy.", Cavic said. Phelps responded, "When people say things like that, it fires me up more than anything." On August 16, Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Games in the men’s 100 m butterfly, setting an Olympic record for the event with a time of 50.58 seconds and edging out his nearest competitor Čavić, by 1/100 of a second.

Unlike all six of his previous events in the 2008 Games, Phelps did not set a new world record, leaving Ian Crocker’s world record time of 50.40 seconds, set in 2005, intact.

Phelps’s 0.01-second finish ahead of Čavić prompted the Serbian delegation to file a protest. Subsequent analysis of the video by the FINA panel, which required analyzing frames shot 1/10,000th of a second apart, was used to officially confirm Phelps’s victory, but the images were not immediately released to the press. The initial refusal by official timekeeper Omega to release underwater photos of the finish also raised questions due to Phelps's sponsorship relationship with Omega. Čavić later wrote in his blog, "People, this is the greatest moment of my life. If you ask me, it should be accepted and we should move on. I’ve accepted defeat, and there’s nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been". However, in August 2009, Omega officials admitted that while Čavić "for sure" touched the wall first, "Phelps did it more forcefully," thus registering the time first. In a press conference at the XIIIth FINA World Championship in Rome, Omega General Manager Christophe Berthaud elaborated that "the video [from Beijing 2008] also shows us that Čavić touched the pad before Phelps" but "with the system we are having, with the touch pad, there is a big, big difference that you have to understand, between touching the pad and pushing the pad".

Phelps’s seventh gold medal of the Games tied Mark Spitz’s record for gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, set in the 1972 Olympics. It was also his fifth individual gold medal in Beijing, tying the record for individual gold medals at a single Games originally set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Said Phelps upon setting his seventh-straight Olympic record of the Games in as many events, "Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible ... I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."

All-time record

On August 17, Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the men’s 4×100 m medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, which had stood since 1972. Phelps, along with teammates Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol, and Jason Lezak, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds, 0.7 seconds ahead of second-place Australia and 1.34 seconds faster than the previous record set by the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. When Phelps dived in to swim the 100 m butterfly leg, the third leg of the 400-meter medley, the United States had been trailing Australia and Japan. Phelps completed his split in 50.1 seconds, the fastest butterfly split ever for the event, giving teammate Jason Lezak a more than half-second lead for the final leg, which he would hold onto to clinch the event in world record time. Said Phelps, upon completing the event that awarded him his eighth gold medal and eighth Olympic record in as many events, "Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are ... Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to."

2009 World Championships

At the 2009 National Championships, Phelps drastically shortened his program, only swimming in three individual events. In his first event, the 200 m freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.23. In his second event, the 200 m butterfly, Phelps easily won with a time of 1:52.76, 0.88 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. In his third event, the 100 m butterfly, Phelps won with a world record time of 50.22. At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won a total of 6 medals, 5 golds and 1 silver. In his first event, the 4×100 m freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 47.78, well off his 47.51 performance in Beijing but the American team was able to edge out Russia and France for the gold. For his second race, the 200 m freestyle, Phelps lost his first race in four years to Germany's Paul Biedermann. Phelps touched second in 1:43.22 but Biedermann smashed Phelps' record of 1:42.96 set in Beijing a year ago with a time of 1:42.00. Phelps took the silver graciously, but coach Bob Bowman threatened to withdraw Phelps from international competition because Bowman claimed Biedermann had an unfair advantage because he was wearing a full polyurethane swim suit, specifically an Arena X-Glide. Bowman said, "It took me five years to get Michael from 1:46 to 1:42 and this guy has done it in 11 months. That's an amazing training performance. I'd like to know how to do that." Phelps rebounded from this loss and for his third race, the 200 m butterfly, Phelps won the gold and broke his own world record of 1:52.03 with a time of 1:51.51. For his fourth race, the 4×200 m freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:44.49 as the team went on to win the gold medal and break the world record set last year. After his loss in the 200 m freestyle, many thought Phelps was vulnerable coming into the final for the 100 m butterfly. His closest competitor, Milorad Čavić, who wore an Arena X-Glide (the same suit Biedermann beat Phelps with), thought people were making excuses for Phelps because he was wearing an LZR Racer. Čavić even offered to buy Phelps a new suit. For his fifth race, the 100 m butterfly, Phelps won the gold and became the first man under 50 seconds, beating Čavić 49.82 to 49.95. The victory prompted a fierce celebration from Phelps, who sat on the lane rope, and pumped his chest and swimsuit. For his final event, the 4×100 m medley relay, Phelps won his fifth gold medal. Phelps, along with teammates Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau, and David Walters, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes and 27.28 seconds.

2010 Pan Pacific Championships

At the 2010 National Championships, Phelps competed in five individual events. In the 200 m freestyle, Phelps won ahead of Ryan Lochte in a time of 1:45.61. About an hour later, Phelps returned to the pool to win the 200 m butterfly. But Phelps was not happy with his performance and called it the "worst" 200 m butterfly of his life. In the 100 m butterfly, Phelps won his 50th national title in 50.65. After the race, Phelps said he was "fairly pleased" with the result. In the 200 m individual medley, Phelps finished second to Lochte 1:55.94 to 1:54.84. It was the first time Lochte beat Phelps in a major national meet. In the 200 m backstroke, Phelps finished in 4th place in 1:56.98.

On the first day of competition at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Phelps opted out swimming in the final of the 200 m freestyle to focus on the 200 m butterfly. In the 200 m butterfly, Phelps led from start-to-finish and finished first with a time of 1:54.11. Although it was much slower than his 1:51.51 time from last year, Phelps has not lost a 200 m butterfly final since 2002. On day two of the competition, Phelps swam in the heats of the 400 m individual medley and contributed in the 4×200 m freestyle relay. In the heats of the 400 m individual medley, Phelps failed to make the A final, with Lochte and Tyler Clary taking the top two American positions. Phelps did not swim in the B final of the 400 m individual medley. In the 4×200 m freestyle relay, Phelps, with Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens, and Lochte finished first ahead of Japan and Australia. On day three of the competition, Phelps competed in the 100 m butterfly and contributed in the 4×100 m freestyle relay. In the 100 m butterfly, Phelps finished first in a time of 50.86, a championship record. In the 4×100 m freestyle relay, Phelps, with Lochte, Jason Lezak, and Nathan Adrian finished first ahead of Australia and South Africa. As the lead-off leg in the 4×100 m freestyle relay, Phelps set the championship record in the 100 m freestyle with a time of 48.13. In his final event, Phelps swam in the 4×100 m medley relay with Aaron Peirsol, Mark Gangloff, and Adrian and finished first ahead of Japan and Australia.

2011 World Championships

In his first event at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Phelps won bronze in the 4×100 m freestyle relay with Garrett Weber-Gale, Jason Lezak, and Nathan Adrian. This was Phelps' first bronze in a World Aquatics Championships. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.08, the second-best lead-off in the field behind James Magnussen's 47.49. In his second event, the 200 m freestyle, Phelps won silver for the second consecutive time at a World Aquatics Championships. This time he finished second to Ryan Lochte in the event with a time of 1:44.79, compared to Lochte's time of 1:44.44. In his third final, the 200 m butterfly, he won his first gold medal with a time of 1:53.34 to become the first swimmer win five gold medals in one discipline at the World Aquatics Championships. In his fourth event, the 200 m individual medley, Phelps again finished second to Lochte in a personal best of 1:54.16, which was 0.16 behind Lochte who swam a new world record. It was Phelps' 30th medal in the World Aquatics Championships. Shortly after completing the semifinals of the 100 m butterfly, Phelps competed in the 4×200 m freestyle relay with Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens, and Ryan Lochte. Phelps' team won the gold medal in a time of 7:02.67. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.53, the third-best leg in the field. In the 100 m butterfly, Phelps won his third consecutive title (also winning in 2007 and 2009) and second individual title of the meet with a time of 50.71. In his last event, the 4×100 m medley relay, Phelps teamed with Nick Thoman, Mark Gangloff, and Nathan Adrian to win gold in a time of 3:32.06. Phelps' butterfly leg of 50.57 was by far the fastest butterfly leg in the field.

2012 Summer Olympics

Phelps has said he will compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics but it would likely be his last Olympics. For the 2012 Olympics, Phelps has stated he will never do eight events again and will try new events. Phelps has said he will for sure drop the 400 m individual medley from his program but his other events are in question. Phelps said, "I keep saying I want to go down and start sprinting, but Bob really isn't so keen on that ... I don't think that's going to happen ... Over the next four years, I'd like to try some different events, maybe not do some of the events I did here."

Physique

A few physical attributes particularly suit Phelps to swimming: his long, thin torso offers low drag; his arms span —disproportionate to his height of —and act as long, propulsive "paddles"; his relatively short legs lower drag, and perhaps add the speed enhancement of a hydrofoil; his size 14 feet provide the effect of flippers; and his hypermobile ankles can extend beyond the ''pointe'' of a ballet dancer, enabling him to whip his feet as if they were fins for maximum thrust through the water.

Allegations of performance enhancing drug use

Throughout the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was questioned by the press if perhaps his feats were "too good to be true", a reference to unsupported rumors that Phelps may be taking performance enhancing drugs. In response, Phelps noted that he had signed up for Project Believe, a project by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in which U.S. Olympians can volunteer to be tested in excess of the World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines. During the Games, Phelps was tested nine times, and passed all of them.

Bob Bowman

Phelps has trained under Bob Bowman since he was 11 years old. Bowman swam for Florida State University from 1983 to 1985. Phelps has said Bowman reminded him of a drill sergeant because of his disciplined and regimented ways. However, Phelps has said, "Training with Bob is the smartest thing I've ever done ... I'm not going to swim for anyone else." After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bowman was hired as the head coach for the University of Michigan after Jon Urbanchek retired. Phelps joined Bowman at Michigan to train and even took a few classes but did not pursue a degree. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bowman returned to Baltimore as CEO at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps also returned to Baltimore with Bowman.

Personal life

Bob Bowman described Phelps as "a solitary man" with a "rigid focus" at the pool prior to a race, but afterwards "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about". "He's unbelievably kind-hearted", recounting Phelps's interaction with young children after practices.

Controversies

In November 2004, at the age of 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired the following month and was granted probation before judgment and ordered to serve 18 months' probation, fined $250, obligated to speak to high school students about drinking and driving and had to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting. Questioned about the incident later that month by Matt Lauer on the ''Today Show'', Phelps said it was an "isolated incident" and that he had "definitely let myself down and my family down ... I think I let a lot of people in the country down."

In early 2009, Phelps admitted to "behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment" following the publication of a photo by the British tabloid, The ''News of the World'', showing him using a bong, a device used for smoking tobacco or marijuana. Following an investigation, the Richland County Sheriff's Department announced on February 16 that Phelps would not be prosecuted in connection with the incident because there was not enough evidence. USA Swimming suspended Phelps from swimming competitively for three months, and Kellogg's announced that it would not renew his endorsement contract.

Relationship with Ian Thorpe

Phelps idolized Australian Ian Thorpe as a teenager, modelling his public image after him. Thorpe initially said it was highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. His remarks were used by Phelps, who stuck them on his locker as motivation during the Games. Thorpe was in the stands for the men's 4×100 meter medley relay, where Phelps was swimming for his eighth Olympic title. When Phelps and his teammates captured the gold, Thorpe gave a congratulatory kiss to Phelps' mother, then gave a handshake and a hug to congratulate Phelps. Thorpe afterwards said "I'm really proud of him not just because he won eight golds. Rather, it's how much he has grown up and matured into a great human being. Never in my life have I been so happy to have been proved wrong. I enjoyed every moment of it."

Philanthropy

After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used his $1 million Speedo bonus to set up the Michael Phelps Foundation. His foundation focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles.

In 2010 the Michael Phelps Foundation, the Michael Phelps Swim School and KidsHealth.Org developed and nationally piloted the im program for Boys & Girls Club members. The im program teaches children the importance of being active and healthy, with a focus on the sport of swimming. It also promotes the value of planning and goal-setting.

Honors and awards

thumb|right|Phelps and Maryland House Speaker [[Michael E. Busch|Mike Busch in April, 2009. Both houses of the Maryland General Assembly honored Phelps that day.]] Phelps was a USA Olympic Team Member in 2000, 2004, and 2008, and holds the records for most Olympic gold-medals (14), most such medals in individual events (9), and most such medals at a single games (8, in Beijing 2008). A street in his hometown of Baltimore was re-named The Michael Phelps Way in 2004. On April 9, 2009 Phelps was invited to appear before the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate, to be honored for his Olympic accomplishments. Phelps has also received the following awards:

World Swimmer of the Year Award: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 American Swimmer of the Year Award: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Golden Goggle Male Performance of the Year: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 Golden Goggle Relay Performance of the Year: 2006, 2007, 2008 Golden Goggle Male Athlete of the Year: 2004, 2007, 2008 USOC SportsMan of the Year Award: 2004, 2008 James E. Sullivan Award: 2003 Laureus World Sports Sportsman of the Year Award (Nominated): 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 Sports Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year: 2008

World records

With 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay) as of , Phelps has set more records than any other swimmer, surpassing Mark Spitz's previous record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay). All but two of the records were set in a long course (50 meter) pool; records that currently stand are indicated in bold. Currently, he holds seven world records.

!No.	!Distance	!Event	!Time	!Location	!Date	!Ref
1	200 m		1:54.92	Austin, Texas, US
2	200 m	Butterfly (2)	1:54.58	Fukuoka, Japan
3	400 m		4:11.09	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, US
4	4×100 m		3:33.48	Yokohama, Japan
5	400 m	Individual medley (2)	4:10.73	Indianapolis, Indiana, US
6	200 m		1:57.94	Santa Clara, California, US
7	200 m	Butterfly (3)	1:53.93	Barcelona, Spain
8	200 m	Individual medley (2)	1:57.52	Barcelona, Spain
9	100 m		0:51.47	Barcelona, Spain
10	200 m	Individual medley (3)	1:56.04	Barcelona, Spain
11	400 m	Individual medley (3)	4:09.09	Barcelona, Spain
12	200 m	Individual medley (4)	1:55.94	College Park, Maryland, US
13	400 m	Individual medley (4)	4:08.41	Long Beach, California, US
14	400 m	Individual medley (5)	4:08.26	Athens, Greece
15	200 m	Butterfly (4)	1:53.80	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
16	4×100 m		3:12.46	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
17	200 m	Individual medley (5)	1:55.84	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
18	200 m	Butterfly (5)	1:53.71	Columbia, Missouri, US
19	200 m		1:43.86	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
20	200 m	Butterfly (6)	1:52.09	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
21	200 m	Individual medley (6)	1:54.98	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
22	4×200 m		7:03.24	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
23	400 m	Individual medley (6)	4:06.22	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
24	400 m	Individual medley (7)	4:05.25	Omaha, Nebraska, US
25	200 m	Individual medley (7)	1:54.80	Omaha, Nebraska, US
26	400 m	Individual medley (8)	4:03.84	Beijing, China
27	4×100 m	Freestyle relay (2)	3:08.24	Beijing, China
28	200 m	Freestyle (2)	1:42.96	Beijing, China
29	200 m	Butterfly (7)	1:52.03	Beijing, China
30	4×200 m	Freestyle relay (2)	6:58.56	Beijing, China
31	200 m	Individual medley (8)	1:54.23	Beijing, China
32	4×100 m	Medley relay (2)	3:29.34	Beijing, China
33	100 m	Butterfly (2)	0:50.22	Indianapolis, Indiana, US
34	200 m	Butterfly (8)	1:51.51	Rome, Italy
35	4×200 m	Freestyle relay (3)	6:58.55	Rome, Italy
36	100 m	Butterfly (3)	0:49.82	Rome, Italy
37	4×100 m	Medley relay (3)	3:27.28	Rome, Italy
38	4×100 m	Medley relay (sc)	3:20.71	Manchester, United Kingdom
39	4×100 m	Freestyle relay (sc)	3:03.30	Manchester, United Kingdom

: with Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, and Jason Lezak : with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak : with Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaay : with Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak : with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaay : with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and David Walters : with Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau and David Walters : short course record with Nick Thoman, Mark Gangloff and Nathan Adrian : short course record with Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers and Garrett Weber-Gale

See also

List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games

List of multiple Olympic medalists

List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games

World record progression 100 metres butterfly

World record progression 200 metres butterfly

World record progression 200 metres freestyle

World record progression 200 metres individual medley

World record progression 400 metres individual medley

World record progression 4x100 metres freestyle relay

World record progression 4x200 metres freestyle relay

World record progression 4x100 metres medley relay

Notes

References

External links

USA Swimming athlete bio: Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps Foundation official website

|- Tom Malchow}} |- Tom Dolan}} |- Jani Sievinen}} Ryan Lochte}} |- Andriy Serdinov Ian Crocker Milorad Čavić}} Ian Crocker Milorad ČavićIncumbent}} |- Ian Thorpe}} Paul Biedermann}} |- Ian Thorpe Grant Hackett}} Grant Hackett Ryan Lochte}} |- Category:1985 births Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American swimmers Category:Male backstroke swimmers Category:Male butterfly swimmers Category:Male freestyle swimmers Category:Male medley swimmers Category:James E. Sullivan Award recipients Category:Living people Category:Michigan Wolverines athletes Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Olympic medalists in swimming Category:Olympic swimmers of the United States Category:People from Baltimore County, Maryland Category:Sportspeople from Baltimore, Maryland Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Swimming World American Swimmers of the Year Category:Swimming World World Swimmers of the Year Category:World record holders in swimming

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