Michael Phelps, locals prepped for Rio Olympics
Michael Phelps left Omaha this weekend with a record fifth Olympic team spot, victories in three individual events and an image softened by time and parenthood.
Michael Phelps left Omaha this weekend with a record fifth Olympic team spot, victories in three individual events and an image softened by time and parenthood.
During an unprecedented career, the lanky Baltimorean has earned 22 Olympic medals but also plenty of tabloid headlines. An admitted party animal, he's been arrested twice for DUIs and in 2009 was suspended by USA Swimming after a photo surfaced of him taking a hit from a water pipe.
But last Wednesday, after he captured the 200-meter butterfly to become the first man to make five U.S. Olympic swim teams, that bad-boy Phelps appeared to dissolve in the emotion of the historic moment.
Still in the Century Link Arena pool, his lower lip quivered as he held up five fingers to signify his accomplishment. Moments later, carrying flowers and a stuffed animal, he embraced his seven-week-old son, Boomer. And at the news conference that followed, Phelps choked up at least twice.
"I don't know if [the 15-year-old Phelps who made his first Olympic team in 2000] would recognize who I am today," he said that night, the eve of his 31st birthday. "But I definitely recognize him, and I recognize the journey from the start of it . . . when I was 11 years old and to where we are today. . . . It's been the best two decades of my life. Maybe."
That career almost certainly will end for good next month in Rio, where adding to his mind-blowing total of 18 gold medals doesn't figure to be easy.
In winning the 200 and 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley at Omaha, he was far off his 2008 form. None of his victorious times were personal bests or the fastest in the world this year. All were slower than he managed in 2015.
"I haven't felt great in the water. But like I said, I'm checking a box off, being able to get on the team," he said. "We have a little over thirty days to prepare ourselves for the next time that we race, and [coach Bob Bowman] and I have talked about some things that we probably can change between now and then and just move forward. By no means am I happy, but I'm happy to have the opportunity to represent my country at the Olympic Games."
Phelps, who seemingly set a personal, U.S. or world record every time he dove into a pool in 2008 and 2009 - including his staggering 8 gold medals at Beijing - admitted he hasn't approached that level in years.
"I think there are a lot of records out there that are very, very, very, very, very fast, and I believe there are some records out there that are beatable," he said. "I would like to think that anytime Bob and I work hard for a year, we're able to get a best time. It's been a hell of a long time since I've had a [personal] best time. I haven't swam best times since 2009. I would like to have maybe one before I retire."
His three wins in Omaha - where every Trials session for eight days was sold-out - validated his 2014 decision to come out of retirement and chase yet more Olympic history.
"Being able to make my fifth is something that means a lot to me," he said. "I think, you know, 20 years from now I will be able to look at this and be happy with making the decision to come back. I'm doing this because I wanted to. . . . Hopefully I can just build off of this and go out and have some fun now. The pressure is off."
In at least one way, he's come full-circle. At his first big news conference, when he became an Olympian at 15, Phelps was asked if he'd ever kissed a girl. This time, all these years and records later, he was asked about kissing his young son.
"I gave him a kiss, and he made a couple of grumbling noises," said Phelps. "I don't know if he was awake during the race, but he was definitely sound asleep right then. It's just special being able to have [our] first born being able to be part of the journey that we're on right now.
"That's really where I am in life. I think things are probably going to hit me a lot more emotionally now than what they would have in the past, because I'm enjoying the moment, and I'm embracing the moment and taking it one step at a time."
Whatever happens in Rio, Phelps, along with another phenomenal Marylander, Bethesda's Katie Ledecky, will be the focus of the U.S. swim squad.
The Philadelphia area will be well-represented on the female side of that 47-person team, which was officially named Sunday night.
Rancocas Valley High's Kelsi Worrell will compete in the 100-meter butterfly, an event she won in Omaha.
Cierra Runge, of Cochranville, Chester County, took a spot on the 800-meter freestyle relay team.
Wilmington's Bruce Gemmell, who coaches Ledecky at the Nation's Capital Swim Club, and Stanford coach Greg Meehan, a Broomall natve, will be assistants to the head women's coach, Dave Marsh.
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