Micheal Phelps was born in Maryland on June 30, 1985, Michael Phelps started swimming when he was seven years old. At the tender age of 15, he placed fifth in the 200-meter butterfly at the 2000 Olympics, where he was the youngest male to compete in the games since 1932. At the 2001 Spring Nationals in the United States, Phelps became the youngest man ever to break a world record in swimming, at the age of 15 years and 9 months. Phelps also became the first swimmer in history to break five individual world records at one meet, at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona. At the age of 18, in 2003, Phelps won the Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. But this year Phelps has achieved another great award, not another gold medal but the SI's Sportsman of the year.
Michael Phelps has been chosen as SI's Sportsman Of The Year. This is an honor that most people aren't fortunate to receive, this is basically the best athlete of the year! Some people might not know but there are 38 people nominated and only the best stand and you are placed on the front cover of Sports Illustrated. Michael Phelps has been privileged to win over all these other great athletes. Usain Bold, Eli Manning, The Ryder Cup Rookies, Kobe Bryant, and so many more. This is an amazing to win over so many such great athletes. Everyone knows how great Micheal Phelps performance was at this years Olympics at Beijing winning 8 medals in 8 races. He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian. As of 2008, he also holds seven world record setting races in swimming. Phelps has 16 medals overall, 14 being gold and 2 being bronze. Phelps won 8 medals in the 2004 Summer Olympics and 8 in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He ties for the most individual gold medals with 5. Phelps also ranks 2 in the total career Olympian medals, after Soviet Gymnast Larissa Latynina with 18 overall 9 of them being gold. She done in a span of 3 different Olympic games. With this being said Phelps has an amazing change to becoming number 1.
I believe Michael Phelps has every right to be the winner of this award, he indeed is the best. He is the best and he has demonstrated this. We will be hearing more of Michael "The Baltimore Bullet" Phelps so keep a look out for this great young athlete.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1148390/1/38/index.htm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/specials/sportsman/2008/12/01/sportsman.2008/index.html?eref=T1
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Michael Phelps has been extremely successful and a great icon for America during the Olympic Games. I just do not understand the sport of swimming. Why have different events when a race should be to the finish line no matter what strategy is taken to get there? In track, a runner can get to the finish line however they want instead of there being different "strokes."
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