The mythical Michael Phelps has already been stripped of almost all world records. What was he left with?
Julia Sidorova July 30, 2023, 2:45 PM Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
There is no longer a single distance where Michael personally is the fastest in the world.
Michael Phelps has been seen as the king and god of the swimming world since his dominance. He set so many records that your head is spinning. And about 15 years ago it seemed that it was impossible to top it.
But time passes, swimming changes, the results grow.
First they took a disc from Phelps, then a second, a third…
The 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka have nearly completed the removal of their world records from the legendary American.
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“I always dreamed of being a good swimmer, winning the Olympics, setting a world record,” Phelps said.
And he managed to fulfill his dreams more than. The world’s most titled athlete during his career set 37 world records in the 50-meter pool, of which 29 are individual, and eight in relay races, and two more records in the 25-meter pool. Thus, Phelps also set the record for the most records, ahead of his great predecessor, Mark Spitz, who only had 33 world records.
Did you choose the last one?
But now almost nothing remains of these records.
At the World Championships in Fukuoka, the last personal world record, which lasted the longest, was first taken from him. Fifteen years ago, in the 2008 400m medley, Michael set a time of 4:03.84. And only in 2023, the 21-year-old Frenchman Léon Marchand, acting under the guidance of Phelps’ former coach Robert Bowman, showed greater speed and finished with a time of 4:02.50. By the way, Phelps himself awarded the young record holder. So to speak, he passed the baton.
How Phelps’ last personal best fell:
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And a few days later, Phelps’s favorite 26-year-old American, Katie Ledecky, to whom Michael even dedicated a touching essay, for the first time caught up with the legend in terms of the number of individual gold medals at the World Championships, winning the 15th gold in the 1500-meter freestyle, and then surpassed his own. Now Ledecky is the only representative of aquatics to have 16 personal gold medals from world championships. She won the last one in a distance of 800 meters freestyle.
Ledecky is the queen of modern swimming:
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What remains of greatness?
After the 2023 World Cup in Japan, only four world records remained in the team disciplines held by the swimming legend: in the 4x100m freestyle relay, in the 4x200m freestyle relay, in the 4x100m medley relay and in the 4x100m freestyle short course relay.
In addition, Michael still firmly holds the records for the total number of medals and victories at world championships – 33 podium hits in individual and team disciplines and 26 victories. Ledecky herself will have to try to catch up with the great compatriot, as she has 26 medals in her account so far, 21 of which are gold. Assuming Katie doesn’t slow down, but instead continues to win, chances are she can get ahead of Michael in 2027.
However, even Ledecky can’t match Phelps’ main record. Michael’s medal box contains 28 Olympic medals, 23 of which are gold. No one has yet come close to this great achievement.
How is Michael Phelps now?
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