Michael Phelps spoke about feeling unmatched in the pool early in his career, a mindset that propelled him to shatter multiple records and become the most decorated Olympian of all time. The 40-year-old stands atop the all-time list for Olympic gold medals and individual medals.
Phelps etched his name in history by winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, eclipsing Mark Spitz’s record of seven golds won in 1972.
Michael Phelps Gets Real About His Unmatched Dominance in the Pool
Phelps was a precocious talent, setting a National record in the 100m butterfly by the age of 10. He trained under the legendary Bob Bowman throughout his career, pushing every inch of his limit in the pool and adapting to his coach’s well-crafted game plan. He became the youngest male in 68 years to advance to the Olympics when he did so in 2000.
Though he didn’t win any medals, he got the hint of how he could excel in the coming years. He improved his medal tally at each World Championship and amassed eight medals at his second Olympic Games in Athens. Phelps sustained that level of excellence in the years that followed, before retiring after the 2016 Rio Games.
As his success continues to resonate across the sporting world, Phelps shared that he felt unbeatable in the pool, particularly in 2007, the year he tied the record for a global long-course championship by winning seven golds at the World Championships.
With rivals trailing far behind, hardly anyone was able to devise a strategy to challenge him. Speaking on a podcast with Raj Shamani, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist said his dominance was the result of the relentless work he put in during training.
I felt unbeatable in the pool. I really did. I literally felt like there wasn’t a single soul on the planet that could touch me, that could beat me. I just felt like I was super prepared. Um, you know, everyone says it’s like that 10,000-hour mark, right? Like, I think 2007 was my 10,000-hour mark. It just kept getting better,” he said.
“I was breaking world records. I mean, they were body lengths behind me. It’s the preparation that I had done years prior that we’re showing.”
Phelps attended the 2024 Paris Olympics as the hospitality ambassador alongside Aly Raisman.
Phelps suffered from ADHD in his childhood years, often bringing him under the criticism of school teachers. He was unable to sit still and concentrate, and one of his teachers prophesied that he would never succeed in life. The demotivation and doubt worked as a key motivator for the Baltimore native, who then promised to prove his middle school teacher wrong.
Phelps runs his eponymous foundation, an initiative aimed at giving back to the swimming community and helping young girls and boys build confidence in the pool.
