After Eight

Thirty-six years is a long time for an Olympic record. But that is how long swimming legend Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in a single Olympic Games has stood. On Sunday, Spitz’s record was broken by fellow American and swimmer Michael Phelps when he powered the US team to a gold in the 4x100-metre relay. Phelps’s tally of gold medals now stands at 14, which is also a record.

Questions will inevitably be raised now whether Phelps is the greatest Olympian ever. If you go by numbers alone, Phelps is way ahead of the other greats like Spitz, Carl Lewis and Paavo Nurmi who had all won nine golds. And there might be more since Phelps plans to take part in the 2012 Games. But just as it is difficult to compare performances across disciplines, so it is to compare between eras. The training, schedules and incentives have all changed since the days Spitz competed. The swimming pools are different, so are the new corset-like suits.

What is more important is the ability of Phelps to reach the heights that he has in a system which is focused on sporting excellence but does not force athletes to perform. As a seven-year-old, Phelps joined a swimming club in Baltimore where he quickly showed amazing potential and was taken under the wings of coach Bob Bowman. Spitz, too, began at a local club at Santa Clara in California. Local clubs, along with schools and universities, are the backbone of America’s sporting success. Athletes from several other countries also train in American universities as did Serbia’s Milorad Cavic, who came second to Phelps in the 100-metre butterfly event. There are poorer countries that are following this model. The fastest man on earth — Jamaica’s Usain Bolt who won the 100-metre sprint in record time — along with a host of other top-class sprinters such as Asafa Powell train at the island’s University of Technology on a scholarship programme.

India must borrow a leaf from such schemes. While we could look at China’s example of focusing on a few disciplines, we must build up an institutional structure that is not dependent on the government. Some of the Indian boxers, who are doing so well in the Olympics, learnt their boxing in local clubs before getting sponsorship from private trusts. There is plenty more such sporting talent waiting to be tapped.

EIGHT-OMIC WONDER

Michael Phelps has dreamed of a lot of things, written down a lot of goals ever since he started training under Bob Bowman in the 200m butterfly event at the age of 15. This was the biggest one he had ever written down. So big that the world just kept convincing itself for 32 years that it was impossible to achieve; so big that the Water Cube forgot about everything else here these past nine days.


On Sunday, Phelps was set to write the punchline of his fairytale. He was itching to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at an Olympics, and all roads led to the Cube.

‘The dream’ loomed large over the city’s landscape as people rushed to reach in time. Hundreds milled outside the security check point, looking desperately for tickets. They were selling all right, at four times the normal price. It was like no other Sunday.


Inside, fans had occupied the seats long back in anticipation, fanning themselves, sipping iced tea and simply waiting, eyes glued to the clock. At exactly 10.30am the wait came to an end. The buzz turned into a roar as Phelps trooped in with his teammates and stretched for a while at the 4x100m relay medley starting point.



Eight years after he became the youngest man to set a swimming world record in 200m butterfly Phelps was ready to stroke and glide again, in the event he loves the most the butterfly, like always the third of the four styles in a medley.


Aaron Peirsol gave USA the lead in the first leg, the backstroke; Brendan Steven stayed an inch ahead in the breaststroke and then dived in Phelps. The noise level at the pool could have matched one at an Aerosmith concert.


Phelps has a rare body, his upper torso much longer than his legs. His arm span of 201 cm is 7 cm more than his height. Those arms got down to work to create history, in a beautiful rhythm. The crowd cheered every stroke, every move, every ripple in the sparkling blue at the Cube.



He was way ahead of the rest and soon as he touched the pad, the chanting began. Jason Lezak just went for it, leaving behind a splashing trail. As he turned for the second 50m, one could see Phelps cheering him on, arms swinging wildly, the dream coming closer. It soon turned into a reality and Phelps hugged them all, tightly. Not letting go, feeling his dream, living his dream.



Mission accomplished, the pool’s water now a tranquil blue, Phelps said later at the press conference: “I just saw mum for one minute, we just hugged, she started crying, and I started crying, and then my sister started crying. It’s been a fun week.” The Aquaman was human again.

400M IND MEDLEY Cruises to the finish line in record time of 4:03:84, bettering the previous mark of 4:05:25

4X100M FREESTYLE RELAY Team USA takes the gold, setting a new world record time of 3:08:24

200M FREESTYLE Shatters previous world record time, clocks 1:42:96 on the way to gold

200M BUTTERFLY Another gold and another record-breaking performance with 1:52:03

4X200M FREESTYLE RELAY Team USA dominates the field with a time of 6:58:56. Phelps bags gold No. 5

200M IND MEDLEY Shaves 0.57 off the previous world record to win the race clocking 1:54:23

100M BUTTERFLY His toughest race by far, Phelps wins the race by a hundreth of a second, with a time of 50.58

4X100M MEDLEY Team USA ensures Phelps bags gold No.8 as they set a new world record of 3:29:34