A swimmer performing the breaststroke

People swimming at Yosemite National Park

Swimming is movement through water using one's limbs, and usually without artificial apparatus. Swimming is an activity that can be both useful and recreational. Its primary uses are bathing, cooling, fishing, recreation, exercise, and sport.

History[link]

Swimming has been known since prehistoric times, and the earliest records of swimming date back to Stone Age paintings from around 7,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC. Some of the earliest references include the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas. In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, The Swimmer or A Dialogue on the Art of Swimming (Der Schwimmer oder ein Zweigespräch über die Schwimmkunst). Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, mostly using breaststroke. In 1873 John Arthur Trudgen introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native Americans. Due to a British disregard for splashing, Trudgen employed a scissor kick instead of the front crawl's flutter kick. Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic games (1896 in Athens). In 1902 Richard Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western world. In 1908, the world swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952.

As occupation[link]

Professional swimmers performing a water ballet in Guardalavaca, Cuba

Some occupations require the workers to swim. For example, abalone- or pearl-divers swim and dive to obtain an economic benefit, as do spear fishermen.

Swimming is used to rescue other swimmers in distress. In the USA, most cities and states have trained lifeguards, such as the Los Angeles City Lifeguards, deployed at pools and beaches. There are a number of specialized swimming styles especially for rescue purposes (see List of swimming styles). Such techniques are studied by lifeguards or members of the Coast Guard.

Swimming is also used in marine biology to observe plants and animals in their natural habitat. Other sciences use swimming, for example Konrad Lorenz swam with geese as part of his studies of animal behavior.

Swimming also has military purposes. Military swimming is usually done by special forces, such as Navy SEALs. Swimming is used to approach a location, gather intelligence, sabotage or combat, and to depart a location. This may also include airborne insertion into water or exiting a submarine while it is submerged. Due to regular exposure to large bodies of water, all recruits in the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are required to complete basic swimming or water survival training.

Swimming is also a professional sport. Companies sponsor swimmers who are at the international level. Cash awards are also given at many of the major competitions for breaking records.^{[citation needed]}

Professional swimmers may also earn a living as entertainers, performing in water ballets.

As a form of travel[link]

Essential travel by swimming over brief distances is frequent when alternatives are precluded. Innumerable migrants swam across rivers and seas, famously across the Rio Grande, and the Bug^{[citation needed]}. There are known cases of political refugees swimming in the Baltic Sea,^[1] and of people jumping in the water and swimming ashore from vessels not intended to reach land where they planned to go.^[2] Swimming travel is central to the plot of the motion picture "Welcome". In the 1980s thousands of retreating Iraqi soldiers swam across the lower Shatt al-Arab.^[3] US president John F. Kennedy led his sailors swimming island to island after his torpedo boat was sunk in World War II. His senator brother Ted Kennedy claimed to have left Chappaquiddick Island by swimming.

As recreation and exercise[link]

A swimmer performing the front crawl

The most common purposes for swimming are recreation, exercise, and athletic training. Recreational swimming is a good way to relax, while enjoying a full-body workout.^[4]

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise. Because the density of the human body is very similar to that of water, the water supports the body and less stress is therefore placed on joints and bones. Swimming is frequently used as an exercise in rehabilitation after injuries or for those with disabilities.

Resistance swimming is one form of swimming exercise. It is done either for training purposes, to hold the swimmer in place for stroke analysis, or to enable swimming in a confined space for athletic or therapeutic reasons. Resistance swimming can be done either against a stream of moving water in a swimming machine or by holding the swimmer stationary with elastic attachments.

Swimming is primarily an aerobic exercise due to the long exercise time, requiring a constant oxygen supply to the muscles, except for short sprints where the muscles work anaerobically. As with most aerobic exercise, swimming is believed to reduce the harmful effects of stress. Swimming can improve posture and develop a strong lean physique, often called a "swimmer's build."

In recent years there has been a growth in the popularity of open water swimming, also known as "wild swimming" partly due to the publication of best-selling books by Kate Rew and Daniel Start.

As a competitive sport[link]

The aquatic sport of swimming involves competition amongst participants to be the fastest over a given distance under self propulsion. Different distances are swum in different levels of competition. For example, the current Olympic Swimming program contains freestyle events of 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m; 100m and 200m events in each of backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly; 200m Individual Medley (that is, 50m butterfly, 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, and 50m freestyle); 400m Individual Medley (100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, and 100m freestyle); and the Marathon 10km. Most high schools swim the following distances: 50m Free; 100m Free, 200m Free, and 500m Free, 100m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke, 100m Butterfly, and 200m IM. There are also medley relays, which combine strokes swum by four relay partners leading off with Backstroke, then Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle. In this, swimmers only swim one stroke, such as 100 yards (American) or meters of butterfly, while other swimmers take the other strokes. Medley relays are swum up to 400 meters, freestyle relays up to 800 meters, with each participant swimming an equal "leg" from the racing blocks. Regulation swimming pools are either 25 or 50 meters or yards across. Racing or training from one side to the other is known as a lap (one way), so a coach may say four laps in place of 100 yards/ or 200 meters. Typical public pools, school pools, and regulation private pools tend to be 25 meters/yards long and Olympic competition is always in fifty meter pools.

Swimming has been part of the modern Olympic Games since inception in 1896. Along with the other aquatic disciplines of diving, synchronised swimming and water polo, the sport is governed internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), and each country has its own National Governing Body(NGB) such as USA Swimming.

Styles[link]

A style is also known as a stroke. "Stroke" can also refer to a single completion of the sequence of body movements repeated while swimming in the given style.

Several swimming styles are suitable for recreational swimming; many recreational swimmers prefer a style that keeps their head out of the water and has an underwater arm recovery. Breaststroke, side stroke, head up front crawl and dog paddle are the most common strokes utilized in recreational swimming. The out-of-water arm recovery of freestyle or butterfly gives rise to better exploitation of the difference in resistance between air and water and thus leads to higher speed.

It is possible to swim by moving only legs without arms or only arms without legs. Such strokes may be used for special purposes, for training or exercise, or by amputees and paralytics.

Risks[link]

A sign warns hikers on the trail to Hanakapiai Beach.

There are many risks associated with voluntary or involuntary human presence in water, which may result in death directly or through drowning asphyxiation. Swimming is both the goal of much voluntary presence, and the prime means of regaining land in accidental situations.

Most recorded water deaths fall into these categories:

• Panic where the inexperienced swimmer or non swimmer becomes mentally overwhelmed by the circumstances of their immersion, leading to sinking and drowning. Occasionally panic can kill through hyperventilation even in very shallow water.
• Exhaustion where the person is unable to sustain effort to swim or tread water, often leading to death through drowning.

An adult with fully developed and extended lungs has generally positive or at least neutral buoyancy, and can float with modest effort when calm and in still water. A small child has negative buoyancy and will either sink rapidly or have to make a sustained effort to stay near the surface.

• Hypothermia where the person loses critical core temperature, leading to unconsciousness or heart failure.
• Dehydration from prolonged exposure to hypertonic salt water, less frequently salt water aspiration syndrome where inhaled salt water creates foam in the lungs that restricts breathing.

Hypothermia and dehydration also kill directly, without causing drowning, even when the person wears a life vest.

• Blunt trauma in fast moving flood or river water.

Less common are

• Other adverse effects:
  • Exostosis is an abnormal bony overgrowth narrowing the ear canal due to frequent, long-term splashing or filling of cold water into the ear canal, also known as surfer's ear.
  • Infection due to water-borne bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
  • Chlorine inhalation (in swimming pools).

• Adverse encounters with aquatic life:
  • Stings from sea lice, jellyfish, fish, sea shells, and some species of coral.
  • Puncture wounds caused by crabs, lobsters, sea urchins, zebra mussels, stingrays, flying fish, sea birds, and rubbish.
  • Hemorrhaging bites from fish, marine mammals, and marine reptiles, occasionally resulting from predation.
  • Venomous bites from sea snakes and certain species of octopus.
  • Electrocution or mild shock from electric eels and electric rays.

Around any pool area, safety equipment and supervision by personnel trained in rescue techniques is important. It is required at most competitive swimming meets, and is a zoning requirement for most residential pools in the United States.^[5]

Lessons[link]

A Styrofoam flotation aid can help children learn to swim.

Children are often given swimming lessons, which serve to develop swimming technique and confidence. Children generally do not swim independently until 4 years of age.^[6]

In Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia and Finland, the curriculum for the fifth grade (fourth grade in Estonia) states that all children should learn how to swim as well as how to handle emergencies near water. Most commonly, children are expected to be able to swim 200 metres (660 ft) – of which at least 50 metres (160 ft) on their back – after first falling into deep water and getting their head under water. Even though about 95 percent of Swedish school children know how to swim, drowning remains the third most common cause of death among children.^[7]

In both the Netherlands and Belgium swimming lessons under school time (schoolzwemmen, school swimming) are supported by the government. Most schools provide swimming lessons. There is a long tradition of swimming lessons in the Netherlands and Belgium, the Dutch translation for the breaststroke swimming style is even schoolslag (schoolstroke). The children learn a variant of the breaststroke, which is technically not entirely correct. In France, swimming is a compulsory part of the curriculum for primary schools. Children usually spend one semester per year learning swimming during CE1/CE2/CM1 (2nd, 3rd and 4th grade).

In many places, swimming lessons are provided by local swimming pools, both those run by the local authority and by private leisure companies. Many schools also include swimming lessons into their Physical Education curricula, provided either in the schools' own pool, or in the nearest public pool.

In the UK, the "Top-ups scheme" calls for school children who cannot swim by the age of 11 to receive intensive daily lessons. These children who have not reached Great Britain's National Curriculum standard of swimming 25 metres by the time they leave primary school will be given a half-hour lesson every day for two weeks during term-time.^[8]

In Canada and Mexico there has been a call for swimming to be included in the public school curriculum.^[9]

In USA there is the Infant Swimming Resource (ISR)^[10] initiative that provides lessons for infant children, to cope with emergency situation when they have fallen into water. They are learned how to roll-back-to-float (hold their breath underwater, to roll onto their back, to float unassisted, rest and breathe until help arrives).

Clothing and equipment[link]

Swimsuits[link]

Standard everyday clothing is usually impractical for swimming and may even be unsafe. Most cultures today expect swimsuits to be worn for public swimming.

Modern men's swimsuits are usually briefs, shorts or athletic cut jammers, lycra swim skins, lycra/spandex diveskins or diveskin jeans (for protection in open water swimming in ocean or lake environments). They can also be swim trunks, lifeguard trunks or board shorts. Usually, the upper body is left uncovered, or the swimmer wears a rash guard t-shirt or 2mm neoprene top for sun protection. In some third world cultures, custom and/or laws have required tops for public swimming.

Modern women's swimsuits are generally skintight, either two pieces covering only the breasts and pelvic region (see bikini), or a single piece covering these areas and the torso between them. Skirts are uncommon, and are usually short when included, but in some cultures they have been required even to the point of a full length skirt being necessary.

Competitive swimwear seeks to improve upon bare human skin in order to obtain a speed advantage. For extra speed a swimmer wears a body suit, which has rubber or plastic bumps that break up the water close to the body and provides a small amount of thrust—just barely enough to help a swimmer swim faster.

Wetsuits provide both thermal insulation and floatation. Many competitive swimmers, mainly men, lack buoyancy in the leg. A swimming wetsuit has very thin arm neoprene to aid flexibility and thick forelegs. This holds the swimmer in a flatter attitude in the water, and so their streamlining. This construction makes breaststroke rather inefficient (legs too rigid) but is perfect for frontcrawl/freestyle.

Accessories[link]

• Ear plugs can prevent water from getting in the ears.
• Noseclips can prevent water from getting in the nose. However, this is generally only used for synchronised swimming. Using noseclips in competitive swimming can cause a disadvantage to most swimmers. It is for this reason that noseclips are only used for synchronised swimming and recreational swimming.
• Goggles protect the eyes from chlorinated water, and can improve underwater visibility. Tinted goggles protect the eyes from sunlight that reflects from the bottom of the pool.
• Swim caps keep the body streamlined and protect the hair from chlorinated water. Swim caps can also keep the hair dry.
• Swimming floats and swimming boards (kickboards) are used for training or exercise purposes. Kickboards are used to keep the upper body afloat while exercising the lower body. A pull buoy is used to keep the lower body afloat while exercising the upper body.
• Swimfins are used to elongate the kick and improve technique and speed.
• Safety fencing and equipment is mandatory at public pools and a zoning requirement at most residential pools in the United States.^[11]

On coins[link]

Swimming events have been selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins. One of the recent samples is the €10 Greek Swimming commemorative coin, minted in 2003 to commemorate the 2004 Summer Olympics. On the obverse of this coin a woman swimmer is depicted, preparing to dive from the starting platform, while in the background another woman athlete is just about to dive into the water in a scene from an Archaic bronze statuette.

See also[link]

Swimming portal

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Bender N. & Hirt N., Did Turkish Van cats lose their fear of water? Forschungspraktikum Evolutionsökologie, University of Bern, Bern 2002.
• Cox, Lynne (2005 by Harvest Books). Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer. 2005 by Harvest Books. ISBN 0-15-603130-2. 
• Maniscalco F., Il nuoto nel mondo greco romano, Naples 1993.
• Mehl H., Antike Schwimmkunst, Munchen 1927.
• Schuster G., Smits W. & Ullal J., Thinkers of the Jungle. Tandem Verlag 2008.
• Sprawson, Charles (2000). Haunts of the Black Masseur - The Swimmer as Hero. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-3539-0. svin
• Tarpinian, Steve (1996). The Essential Swimmer. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-55821-386-4. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Swimming

Look up human swimming in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Drowning-Prevention.org, Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Information from Seattle Children's Hospital and the Washington State Drowning Prevention Network.
• Physsportsmed.com, Swimming Injuries and Illnesses
• Quicknet.nl, Overview of 150 historical and less known swimming-strokes

Lewis Gordon Pugh
Lewis Gordon Pugh
Born	(1969-12-05) 5 December 1969 (age 42) Plymouth, England
Nationality	British
Education	University of Cambridge, University of Cape Town
Occupation	Environmental campaigner, maritime lawyer and endurance swimmer
Parents	Surgeon Rear Admiral P.D. Gordon Pugh and Margery Pugh
Website
lewispugh.com

Lewis Gordon Pugh, OIG (born 5 December 1969) is a British environmental campaigner, maritime lawyer and endurance swimmer.

Pugh was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean.^[1] He frequently swims in vulnerable ecosystems to draw attention to their plight and is best known for undertaking the first swim across the North Pole in 2007 to highlight the melting of the Arctic sea ice and for swimming across a glacial lake under the summit of Mount Everest in 2010 to draw attention to the melting glaciers in the Himalayas, and the impact the reduced water supply will have on world peace.

In 2010 he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum for his "potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world through inspiring leadership."^[2]

Early life and family[link]

Pugh was born in Plymouth, England. His father, Surgeon Rear Admiral P.D. Gordon Pugh, OBE, FRCS was a surgeon in the Royal Navy and a prolific collector of ceramics of the Victorian era. His mother, Margery Pugh was a Senior Nursing Sister in Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service. Pugh is a descendant of William Carey the famous missionary. His father's cousin, Carey Heydenrych, participated in the "Great Escape" from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III during the Second World War.^[3] In 2009 Pugh married Antoinette Malherbe, whom he met at school.

Education[link]

Pugh grew up on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. When he was 10 years old his family emigrated to South Africa and he was educated at St Andrew's College in Grahamstown and later at Camps Bay High School in Cape Town. He read politics and law at the University of Cape Town and graduated with distinction and at the top of his Masters class. In his mid-twenties he returned to England where he read International Law at Jesus College, Cambridge and then worked as a maritime lawyer in the City of London for a number of years. During this time he concurrently served as a Reservist in the elite British Special Air Service.^[4]

Environmental campaigning[link]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Lewis Pugh

During his youth Pugh visited many National Parks in South Africa. He attributes this to his father's desire to teach him to love and respect nature after what he had witnessed whilst serving in the Royal Navy.^[5] His father was present at the first British atomic bomb test in 1952 and a number of subsequent tests.

In 2003 Pugh left his maritime law practice to campaign for the protection of the environment. He often addresses Heads of State and business leaders on the need to tackle climate change head on and the importance of a low carbon society.

In 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Pugh took the evidence of witnesses from across Africa on the effects of climate change at the Pan-African Climate and Poverty Hearings. The evidence was presented to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference.^[6]

Public speaking[link]

Pugh is an accomplished public speaker. He has twice spoken at the influential TED Conference and is described on their website as a “master story-teller”.^[7] The Financial Times reported that his speech:

“... was the perfect TED talk: a little bit of action, some thinking outside the box, humbling words on the need to respect nature, a happy ending. A Hollywood scriptwriter could not have structured it better.”^[8]

And his speech on environmental leadership at the 2008 Business Innovation Forum Conference in the USA was voted as one of the "7 Most Inspiring Videos on the Web" by Mashable, the social media guide.^[9]

Polar Defense Project[link]

Lewis Pugh paddles in the Arctic to publicise the Polar Defence Project, founded by himself in 2008.

In 2008 Pugh founded the Polar Defense Project to campaign for greater protection for the Arctic and a resolution of the maritime boundary disputes. In 2009 it won the Best Project for the Environment at the inaugural Beyond Sports Awards.^[10]

World Wide Fund for Nature and the Wilderness Leadership School[link]

Pugh sits on the Council of Ambassadors for the World Wide Fund for Nature in the UK with Sir David Attenborough and Jonathon Porritt.^[11] He also works closely with Dr Ian Player and the Wilderness Leadership School to promote and protect the last wilderness areas on the earth.

BP Oil Disaster[link]

Pugh has been outspoken on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a feature in Business Day he said:

"They [BP top executives] should be criminally prosecuted. They should go to jail. What I can't understand is why people haven't responded more vigorously, by boycotting BP."^[12]

Environmental awareness expeditions[link]

Lewis Pugh has undertaken a series of expeditions to raise awareness about the effects of climate change.

River Thames[link]

In 2006, he became the first person to swim the entire length of the River Thames, to raise awareness about the severe drought in England and the dangers of global warming. The 325 km (202 mi) swim took him 21 days to complete. The river had stopped flowing due to the drought, forcing Pugh to run the first 42 km (26 mi) of the river. While swimming through London, Pugh exited the water and made a visit to Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street to call on the United Kingdom to move towards a low carbon economy. Shortly afterwards the Prime Minister introduced the Climate Change Bill to Parliament.

Maldives[link]

In February 2007 Pugh became the first person to swim across the width of the Maldives. He undertook the swim to raise awareness about the effect of climate change on low lying islands in the world. The 140 km (87 mi) swim took 10 days to complete.

North Pole[link]

Lewis Pugh on completing the first long-distance swim at the North Pole.

In July 2007 Pugh undertook the first long-distance swim at the Geographic North Pole. The 1 km (0.62 mi) swim, across an open patch of sea, in −1.7 °C water, took 18 minutes and 50 seconds to complete. Jørgen Amundsen, the great-grandnephew of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, paced Pugh by skiing alongside him during the swim.^[13]

The swim coincided with the lowest coverage of Arctic sea ice ever recorded. Pugh disagrees with recent modeling, which predicts that the Arctic will be ice free in the summer by 2080. After his swim he said:

"From what I have seen, I think the Arctic will be largely free of summer sea ice within a decade."^{[citation needed]}

Arctic kayak[link]

In September 2008, Pugh, accompanied by a team aboard a ship where he slept, attempted to kayak the 1200 km from Svalbard, across the Arctic Ocean, towards the North Pole, but team abandoned the effort 135 km from the start.^[14] The aim was to further highlight the melting sea ice. The expedition coincided with some scientists predicting that the North Pole could be free of sea-ice in the summer of 2008, for the first time in thousands of years.^[15] Pugh stated that despite several attempts, they were unable to find a gap in the ice. In 2002, Thomas and Tina Sjogren had skied and swam their way to the North Pole without any external support.^[16] In his autobiography Pugh wrote:

"Ironically, global warming played no small part in undermining the entire expedition. We believed that the greater melting of summer ice would open up large areas of sea and allow us to paddle north at good speed. What we did not fully appreciate was that to the north of us there was a widespread melting of sea ice off the coast of Alaska and the New Siberian Islands and the ice was being pushed south towards us ... The evidence of climate change was stark. Fourteen months before I'd sailed north and I'd seen a preponderance of multi-year ice about three metres thick north of Spitsbergen, but this time most of the ice was just a metre thick."^[17]

Mt Everest - Swim for Peace[link]

In May 2010 Pugh swam in Lake Pumori, a glacial lake on Mt Everest, to highlight the melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas and the impact the reduced water supply will have on world peace.^[18] The 1 km (0.62 mi) swim, at an altitude of 5,300 metres, in 2 °C water,^[19] took 22 minutes and 51 seconds to complete and was done as part of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Television[link]

Pugh has appeared on numerous TV shows including Good Morning America, Jay Leno,^[20] Richard & Judy, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart^[21] and BBC Breakfast. He has also been featured by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Vital Signs on CNN,^[22] ADN on France 2, Carte Blanche and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.^[23]

In 2009 Pugh starred in Robson Green's Wild Swimming Adventure where he trained the English actor / singer to swim across the icy waters of Llyn Llydaw, a lake on Mount Snowdon in Wales. Afterwards Robson Green said:

"… Lewis prepared me psychologically for something that was way outside my comfort zone. His introduction to the notion of committing to an objective, becoming unstoppable and reaching that objective was life changing. There was no swim I couldn't do after meeting Lewis because anything is possible if you COMMIT!!"^[24]

Books[link]

In 2010 Pugh's autobiography "Achieving the Impossible : A Fearless Leader, A Fragile Earth" was published by Simon & Schuster. It quickly became a Number One bestseller.^[25]

Swimming[link]

Over a period of 24 years Pugh has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other swimmer in history. In an interview with Forbes he stated:

"Between Lynne Cox, Martin Strel and myself, we've hit all of the world's major landmarks. There's really nothing left."^[26]

Early swims[link]

Pugh had his first real swimming lesson in 1986, at the age of 17. One month later he swam from Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) to Cape Town. In 1992 on August 6, he swam across the English Channel. In 2002 he broke the record for the fastest time for swimming around Robben Island.

He was the first person to swim around Cape Agulhas (the southernmost point in Africa), the Cape of Good Hope, and the Cape Peninsula (a 100 km (62 mi) swim from Cape Town to Muizenberg). Pugh was also the first person to swim across an African Great Lake, namely Lake Malawi.

Cold water swims[link]

After 2003 Pugh focused on pioneering swims in the coldest and most hostile waters of the world. All of them were undertaken in accordance with Channel Swimming Association rules, in just a pair of Speedo swimming trunks, cap and goggles. He became the first person to swim around the infamous North Cape, the northern-most point in Europe. The following year he became the first person to swim down the entire length of Sognefjord in Norway, a 204 km (127 mi) swim which took him 21 days to complete.

In 2005 he broke the world record for the farthest-north long-distance swim by undertaking a 1 km (0.62 mi) swim at 80° North around Verlegenhuken, the northern-most cape in Spitsbergen. He followed that five months later by breaking Lynne Cox's world record for the farthest-south long-distance swim by undertaking a 1 km (0.62 mi) swim at 65° South at Petermann Island off the Antarctic Peninsula.

In 2006 Pugh challenged Russia's top cold water swimmers to a 500 metre race at the World Winter Swimming Championships in Finland. He easily won the gold medal, beating Russian Champion Alexander Brylin by over 100 metres and the bronze medalist Nefatov Vladimir by 125 metres.

Anticipatory Thermo-Genesis[link]

On both his Arctic and Antarctic expeditions Professor Tim Noakes, a sports scientist from the University of Cape Town, recorded Pugh's ability to raise his core body temperature by nearly 2 °C in anticipation of entering the freezing water.^[27][28] He coined the phrase "anticipatory thermo-genesis" (the creation of heat before an event).^[29][30] This phenomenon had not been noted in any other human. Pugh believes it is a Pavlovian Response to years of cold water swimming.

"Holy Grail" of swimming[link]

In 2006 Pugh achieved the "Holy Grail" of swimming by becoming the first person to complete a long-distance swim in all 5 oceans of the world. To date he is the only person to have achieved this feat. His five swims were :

• Atlantic Ocean - across the English Channel in 1992
• Arctic Ocean - around the most northern point of the Island of Spitsbergen in 2005
• Southern Ocean - across Whaler's Bay in Deception Island in 2005
• Indian Ocean - across Nelson Mandela Bay in 2006
• Pacific Ocean - from Manly Beach through the Sydney Heads to the Sydney Opera House in 2006

Awards[link]

• 2011 - Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, London
• 2011 - President's Award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame
• 2010 - Appointed a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum
• 2009 - Awarded the highest honour in South Africa - the Order of Ikhamanga (Gold Class) for his "exceptional sporting triumphs, humanitarian feats and creating consciousness about the negative effects of global warming". This was only the third time a sportsman had received the honour.^[31]
• 2009 - Best Project for the Environment - Beyond Sport Awards^[32]
• 2008 - Out There Adventurer of the Year
• 2007 - Fellow of The Explorers Club, New York
• 2007 - Paul Harris Fellowship Award by Rotary International
• 2007 - Sports Adventurer of the Year Award by the French Sports Academy
• 2006 - Freedom of the City of London

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website of Lewis Gordon Pugh
• TED talk on swimming at Mt. Everest
• Quotes from Lewis Gordon Pugh

Michael Phelps

180px Michael Phelps, April 2009
Personal information
Full name	Michael Fred Phelps[1]
Nickname(s)	MP; The Baltimore Bullet[2]; Flying Fish[3]
Nationality	USA
Born	(1985-06-30) June 30, 1985 (age 26)[4] Baltimore, Maryland
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[4]
Weight	185 lbs. 83.9 kg[5]
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Stroke(s)	Backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, individual medley
Club	North Baltimore Aquatic Club
Medal record Men's swimming Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 100 m butterfly Gold 2004 Athens 200 m butterfly Gold 2004 Athens 200 m medley Gold 2004 Athens 400 m medley Gold 2004 Athens 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2004 Athens 4×100 m medley Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m butterfly Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m butterfly Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m medley Gold 2008 Beijing 400 m medley Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m freestyle Gold 2008 Beijing 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2008 Beijing 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2008 Beijing 4×100 m medley Bronze 2004 Athens 200 m freestyle Bronze 2004 Athens 4×100 m freestyle World Championships – Long Course Gold 2001 Fukuoka 200 m butterfly Gold 2003 Barcelona 200 m butterfly Gold 2003 Barcelona 200 m medley Gold 2003 Barcelona 400 m medley Gold 2003 Barcelona 4×100 m medley Gold 2005 Montreal 200 m freestyle Gold 2005 Montreal 200 m medley Gold 2005 Montreal 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2005 Montreal 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2005 Montreal 4×100 m medley Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m freestyle Gold 2007 Melbourne 100 m butterfly Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m butterfly Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m medley Gold 2007 Melbourne 400 m medley Gold 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2007 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 100 m butterfly Gold 2009 Rome 200 m butterfly Gold 2009 Rome 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 4×100 m medley Gold 2011 Shanghai 100 m butterfly Gold 2011 Shanghai 200 m butterfly Gold 2011 Shanghai 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m medley Silver 2003 Barcelona 100 m butterfly Silver 2003 Barcelona 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2005 Montreal 100 m butterfly Silver 2009 Rome 200 m freestyle Silver 2011 Shanghai 200 m freestyle Silver 2011 Shanghai 200 m medley Bronze 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle World Championships – Short Course Gold 2004 Indianapolis 200 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2002 Yokohama 200 m medley Gold 2002 Yokohama 400 m medley Gold 2002 Yokohama 4×100 m medley Gold 2006 Victoria 200 m butterfly Gold 2006 Victoria 200 m medley Gold 2006 Victoria 400 m medley Gold 2006 Victoria 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2006 Victoria 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 100 m butterfly Gold 2010 Irvine 200 m butterfly Gold 2010 Irvine 4x100 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 4x200 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 4x100 m medley Silver 2002 Yokohama 200 m butterfly Silver 2002 Yokohama 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2006 Victoria 200 m backstroke

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 gold medals 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. Phelps also holds the all-time record for most gold Olympic medals, at 14.

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[link]

Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of Towson, Maryland, a northwest suburb of Baltimore City.^[6] Michael was the youngest of three children. His mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" (née Davisson), is a middle school principal.^[7] His father, Michael Fred Phelps, was a football player in high school and almost made the team for the Washington Redskins.^[7] His ancestry includes English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and German.^[8]

Phelps began swimming at the age of seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy.^[9] When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).^[10][11] His parents divorced in 1994 and Michael and his sisters went to live with their mother. By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group, and Phelps began to train at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. 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.^[12] While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200-m butterfly.^[13]

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.^[14] 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.^[15]

2002 Pan Pacific Championships[link]

Pan Pacific medal record
2002 Yokohama – Men's swimming
Competitor for the  United States
Gold	200 m individual medley	1:59.70
Gold	400 m individual medley	4:12.48
Gold	4 × 100 m medley relay	3:33.48 (WR)
Silver	200 m butterfly	1.55.41
Silver	4×200 m freestyle relay	7:11.81

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.^[16] 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.^[17]

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.^[18]

2003 World Championships[link]

At Nationals, Phelps won the 200-m freestyle, 200-m backstroke, and the 100-m butterfly.^[19] He became the first American swimmer to win three different races in three different strokes at a national championship.^[19] At the 2003 Duel in the Pool, a meet that pits swimming stars from Australia and the United States, Phelps broke the world record in the 400-m individual medley with a time of 4:10.73 and almost broke the world record in the 100-m butterfly, just missing the record by 0.03 seconds.^[20] At a meet in Santa Clara, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-m individual medley with a time of 1:57.94.^[21] Phelps said he broke the 200-m individual medley world record after Don Talbot said Phelps was unproven, using his words as motivation.^[22]

At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won four gold medals, two silver medals, and broke five world records.^[23] 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.^[24] 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.^[25] 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.^[26] 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.^[27] 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.^[28] 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.^[29] 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.^[30] 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.^[31] About half an hour later, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-m medley relay.^[32] Phelps did not swim in the finals, but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.^[33]

2004 Summer Olympics[link]

Trials[link]

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.^[34] In his first event, the 400-m individual medley, Phelps easily won with a world record time of 4:08.41.^[35] 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.^[36] 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.^[37] 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.^[38] After two days off, Phelps was back in the pool and finished second to Aaron Peirsol in the 200-m backstroke.^[39] Less than half an hour later, Phelps won the 200 m individual medley title ahead of Ryan Lochte by 2.70 seconds.^[40][41] 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.^[42] When the Trials were over, Phelps became the first person to qualify in six individual events for a U.S. Olympic team.^[43] However, Phelps dropped the 200-m backstroke to focus on the 200-m freestyle because he wanted to race Ian Thorpe.^[43] Even though Phelps didn't compete in the 100-m freestyle at the Trials, he was still selected for the 4×10-m freestyle relay. Gary Hall, Jr. thought this was unfair and said Phelps did not deserve a spot on the relay. Phelps argued his program was too crowded to compete in 100-m freestyle and was at least among the top four swimmers because he had beaten the top-seeded Jason Lezak the last time he had swum against him.^[44]

Olympics[link]

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.^[45][46] 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.^[47][48] Crocker's lead-off time of 50.05 was the worst among the field and was blamed on sickness.^[49][50] 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.^[51][52] 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".^[53] 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.^[54][55] 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.^[56] Two days later, in the 200-m individual medley, Phelps finished first with a time of 1:57.14, an Olympic record.^[57] In the 100-m butterfly final, held the following day, Phelps defeated American teammate Ian Crocker (who held the world record in the event at the time) by just 0.04 seconds with a time of 51.25.^[58][59] 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.^[59][60] Phelps' gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends as well getting his final shot at a gold medal.^[60] The American medley team went on to win the event in world-record time, and, since Phelps had raced in a preliminary heat of the medley relay, he was also awarded a gold medal along with the team members who competed in the final.^[61][62] 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[link]

Victory lap of the 100 m butterfly during the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montréal. Phelps is far right.

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.^[63] 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.^{[64][65][66][67][68]}

At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won a total of six medals, 5 golds and one silver.^[69] 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.^[70] Later that day, in the 4×100-m freestyle relay, Phelps won his first gold in the Championships.^[71] Two days later, on July 26, Phelps won his second gold in the 2000m freestyle with a new American record time of 1:45.20, finishing ahead of Grant Hackett.^[72] Two days later, on July 28, Phelps finished 7th in the 100-m freestyle final.^[73] Later that day, Phelps won his third gold in the 200-m individual medley.^[74] 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.^[75] 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.^[76] On July 31, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-m medley relay.^[77] Phelps did not swim in the finals but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.^[78]

2006 Pan Pacific Championships[link]

At the 2006 National Championships, Phelps won a total of three events.^[79] In his first event, the 200-m butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 1:54.32.^[80] In his second event, the 100-m butterfly, Phelps just edged out Ian Crocker 51.51 to 51.73.^[81] 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.^[82]

At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Victoria, Phelps won five gold medals and one silver.^[83] 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.^[84] 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.^[85] 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 of 7:05.28.^[86] In his fourth event, the 200-m backstroke, Phelps won the silver medal, finishing behind Aaron Peirsol 1:56.81 to 1:54.44.^[87] 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.^[88] 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.^[89]

2007 World Championships[link]

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won seven gold medals, tying the record, and broke five world records.^[90] 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 the previous year.^[91] 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.^[92] 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.^[93] 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^[94] 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.^[95] For his sixth race, the 100-m butterfly, Phelps edged out Ian Crocker 50.77 to 50.82 to win his sixth gold medal.^[96] 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 seconds ahead of Ryan Lochte.^[97] 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.^[98]

2008 Summer Olympics[link]

Trials[link]

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.^[99] 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.^[100] 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.^[101] In his fourth event, the 200-m butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 1:52.20.^[102] 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.^[103] In his sixth and final event, the 100-m butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 50.89.^[104] 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."^[105]

Olympics[link]

Phelps set an Olympic record in the preliminary heats of the men's 400-m individual medley.^[106][107] He followed that up in the final by winning the gold medal, as well as breaking his previous world record by nearly two seconds.^[108][109]

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).^[110] 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 previous day by the American B team in a preliminary heat.^[111]

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.^[112] In this race, Phelps became only the fifth Olympic athlete in modern history to win nine gold medals, joining Mark Spitz, Larisa Latynina, Paavo Nurmi, and Carl Lewis.^[113]

Phelps holds his gold medal on the podium on August 10, 2008. Pictured with Ryan Lochte and László Cseh

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' having filled up with water and being unable to "see anything for the last 100 meters.^[114] 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.^[115]

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.^[116]

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.^[117]

7th gold medal and controversy[link]

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", Čavić said.^[118] Phelps responded, "When people say things like that, it fires me up more than anything."^[119] 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.^[120]

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

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,^[121] 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.^[122] 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".^[123] 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.^[124]

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."

Michael Phelps celebrates with his team-mates after winning his 8th gold medal.

All-time record[link]

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.^[126] 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.^[127] 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."^[128]

2009 World Championships[link]

At the 2009 National Championships, Phelps drastically shortened his program, swimming in only three individual events. In his first event, the 200-m freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.23.^[129] 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.^[130] In his third event, the 100-m butterfly, Phelps won with a world-record time of 50.22.^[131]

Phelps (center) before the start of the 200 m butterfly semifinal during 2009 FINA World Championships.

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.^[132] 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.^[133] 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."^[134] 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.^[135] 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 the previous year.^[136] After his loss in the 200-m freestyle, many thought Phelps was vulnerable coming into the final for the 100-m butterfly.^[137] 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.^[138] For his fifth race, the 100-m butterfly, Phelps won the gold and became the first man to complete it in under 50 seconds, beating Čavić 49.82 to 49.95.^[139] The victory prompted a fierce celebration from Phelps, who sat on the lane rope and pumped his chest and swimsuit.^[140] 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.^[141]

2010 Pan Pacific Championships[link]

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.^[142] About an hour later, Phelps returned to the pool to win the 200-m butterfly.^[143] 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.^[144] After the race, Phelps said he was "fairly pleased" with the result.^[145][146] In the 200-m individual medley, Phelps finished second to Lochte 1:55.94 to 1:54.84.^[147] It was the first time Lochte had beat Phelps in a major national meet.^[148] In the 200-m backstroke, Phelps finished in 4th place in 1:56.98.^[149]

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, coming in first with a time of 1:54.11. Although it was much slower than his 1:51.51 time from the previous year, Phelps has not lost a 200-m butterfly final since 2002.^[150][151] 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.^[152] 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.^[153] 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.^[154] 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.^[155] 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.^[156]

2011 World Championships[link]

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.^[157] 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.^[158] 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 to win five gold medals in one discipline at the World Aquatics Championships.^[159] 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.^[160] 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.^[161] 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.^[162] 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.^[163]

2012 Summer Olympics[link]

Phelps has said he will compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics but it would likely be his last Olympics.^[164][165] 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."^[166][167]

Physique[link]

Michael Phelps starting a race, Santa Clara, California, 2009.

A few physical attributes particularly suit Phelps to swimming: his long, thin torso offers low drag; his arms span 6 feet 7 inches (201 cm)—disproportionate to his height of 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm)—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.^[168]

Allegations of performance enhancing drug use[link]

Throughout the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was questioned by the press as to whether perhaps his feats were "too good to be true", a reference to unsupported rumors that Phelps might be taking performance enhancing drugs.^[169][170] 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.^[171] During the Games, Phelps was tested nine times, and passed all of them.^[172][173]

Bob Bowman[link]

Phelps has trained under Bob Bowman since he was 11 years old.^[174] Bowman swam for Florida State University from 1983 to 1985.^[175] Phelps has said Bowman reminded him of a drill sergeant because of his disciplined and regimented ways.^[176] However, Phelps has said, "Training with Bob is the smartest thing I've ever done ... I'm not going to swim for anyone else."^[177] 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.^[178][179] After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bowman returned to Baltimore as CEO at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps also returned to Baltimore with Bowman.^[180]

Personal life[link]

Michael Phelps at Santa Clara, California, 2009.

Bob Bowman described Phelps as "a solitary man"^[181] with a "rigid focus"^[6] at the pool prior to a race, but afterwards "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about".^[6] "He's unbelievably kind-hearted",^[181] recounting Phelps's interaction with young children after practices.^[6]

Controversies[link]

In November 2004, at the age of 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland.^[182] 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.^[183] 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."^[6]

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.^[184] 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.^[185] USA Swimming suspended Phelps from swimming competitively for three months, and Kellogg's announced that it would not renew his endorsement contract.^[186]

Relationship with Ian Thorpe[link]

Phelps idolized Australian Ian Thorpe as a teenager, modelling his public image after him.^[187] Thorpe initially said it was highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.^[188] His remarks were used by Phelps, who stuck them on his locker as motivation during the Games.^[189] 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."^[126] He added, "I just couldn't envision it happening. And I didn't think he would get all eight, not because Michael couldn't win, but because of the competition. It's been a very tough week to get through. I couldn't do it. You couldn't imagine much closer races. The 4×100 free goes down as one of the all-time great races."^[190][191]

Philanthropy[link]

After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used his $1 million Speedo bonus to set up the Michael Phelps Foundation.^[192][193] His foundation focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles.^[194]

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.^[195]

Honors and awards[link]

Phelps and Maryland House Speaker 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).^[4] A street in his hometown of Baltimore was re-named The Michael Phelps Way in 2004.^[196] 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.^[197]
Phelps has also received the following awards:

• World Swimmer of the Year Award: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009^[198]
• American Swimmer of the Year Award: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009^[198][199]
• Golden Goggle Male Performance of the Year: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009^[4]
• Golden Goggle Relay Performance of the Year: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009^[4]
• Golden Goggle Male Athlete of the Year: 2004, 2007, 2008^[4]
• USOC SportsMan of the Year Award: 2004, 2008^[200]
• James E. Sullivan Award: 2003^[201]
• Laureus World Sports Sportsman of the Year Award (Nominated): 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009^{[202][203][204][205]}
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year: 2008^[206]

World records[link]

With 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay) as of 02009-12-19December 19, 2009, 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.

^a with Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, and Jason Lezak

^b with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak

^c with Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaay

^d with Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak

^e with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaay

^f with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and David Walters

^g with Aaron Peirsol, Eric Shanteau and David Walters

^h short course record with Nick Thoman, Mark Gangloff and Nathan Adrian

ⁱ short course record with Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers and Garrett Weber-Gale

See also[link]

Notes[link]