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2016 U.S. MALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: MICHAEL PHELPS
Michael Phelps (photo: Satiro Sodré/SSPress)
As if Michael Phelps hadn’t already accomplished enough during his career, he further cemented his status as the most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time with his performance in Rio. This summer’s Olympic Games, which served as a swan song for his swimming career, saw Phelps win another 6 Olympic medals. While his individual accomplishments were incredible, his contributions to USA Swimming’s performance as a whole were undeniable.
Following his performances in Rio, Phelps had added 6 medals to the USA’s total, including 5 gold medals and 1 silver. In addition to 3 relay golds, he won the 200 fly and 200 IM, and tied for silver in the 100 fly. In the final Rio 2016 swimming medal table, the U.S. led the pack with 16 golds. Phelps played a role in nearly a third of them. The only male swimmer to come close to matching his medal haul was Nathan Adrian, who won 2 individual bronze medals and 2 relay golds to earn 4 total. Phelps was also the only U.S. male swimmer to win 3 medals individually.
Phelps’ overall contributions to USA Swimming at the Rio Olympics can also be gleaned from his relay performances. Despite the uncertainy surrounding his spot on the freestyle relays, the long-time USA veteran helped the Americans to gold in both the 4×100 free relay and 4×200 free relay. Though he opted out of the 100 and 200 freestyles at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Phelps stepped up when it counted. His 47.12 split on the 2nd leg of the winning 400 free relay was the fastest split he’d ever done in his career. Later in the meet, he stepped up for the 800 free relay, anchoring in 1:45.26 to help the USA win another relay gold. In the final swim of his career, Phelps took on the fly leg of the American medley relay. Team USA trailed Great Britain after Adam Peaty‘s monster breaststroke leg, but Phelps put the Americans back into the lead to help them sweep the Olympic relays.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
In no particular order
Ryan Murphy (photo: Simone Castrovillari)
- Ryan Murphy– After rising in the ranks as an age group swimmer, a fully grown Murphy finally got his chance to represent the red, white, and blue at the Olympics in 2016. With the USA’s Olympic backstroke streak on the line, he headed to Rio knowing he had big shoes to fill. In his first race of the games, Murphy became the first man to swim a 51-second 100 back in textile, setting a new Olympic Record and winning gold in the process. He then completed his sweep of the individual backstrokes, adding a 200 back gold to his resume. On the final day of competition, Murphy took on the backstroke leg of the American medley relay, breaking Aaron Peirsol‘s 100 backstroke World Record to help the USA to victory.
- Anthony Ervin– 16 years after he won his first Olympic title in 2000, Ervin stepped up to the blocks for the 50 free final in Rio. Now 35 years old, Ervin was up against a field that included the defending Olympic champ Florent Manaudou and American Record holder Nathan Adrian. In the end, it was Ervin who got to the wall first, taking out 2012 champ Manaudou by a hundredth, while Adrian rounded out the medals in 3rd. With that victory, Ervin became the oldest swimmer ever to win an Olympic gold medal individually.
I demand a recount!
Honestly MP surprised me in Rio. As a fan, I’m always worried about my favorite athletes and I didn’t know what to expect, especially in the 200 fly. I knew he had done the job in training but I feared the last 50. He won that event with a lot of courage and tenacity. Great example for the kids to see such a champion surpass himself. His 200 IM was brilliant. It seemed that he swam against juniors that day. His last turn and his freestyle leg have destroyed everybody. And overall his freestyle was tremendous all week. I’m convinced he would have won the 200 free if he had swum it instead of the 200 fly. But maybe his… Read more »
Nah he would have had to swim a 1:44.65, he was a 1:45 from a relay start
50 minutes after the 200 fly!
Ryan Murphy should win this.
3golds and world record,
No disrespect to Phelps, but in his fly went slower than 2015, IM was solid standard Phelps, and freestyle he went slower than 2012 (& he was all depressed then according to interviews).
4×200 he shouldn’t of even been in team.
4×100 free he was class but Gilot had a shocker so made look better than it was.
To be fair, he was four years older than in London. As for his fly being slower than 2015, I think that was due to him taking more time to train freestyle, which payed off. 47.12/1:45.26 are outstanding splits.
Murphy was obviously outstanding too though. After OTs I began to think the 100 back WR would remain out of reach for another quad, but he proved me wrong. 🙂
Phelps is just what you call a clutch swimmer. When is matters the most, the guys gets his hand on the wall to help bring home medals. That’s why he just competed in his 5th Olympics when other high level performers are sitting at home watching the games on TV, or cheering in the stands in place of swimming the relay.
I agree he didn’t exactly belong on the 4×200 this year, and they might have still taken a gold without him (not just might, but probably would). But you go with the guy who has proven himself over the untested.
I think Lochte should have been replaced by Conger not Phelps. Phelps split 3/4 of a second faster than Lochte, and given that there’s no one else within 2 seconds of 1:45low he definitely should have been on the relay.
That’s like saying Fred Bosquet should of anchored the French 4×100 in Beijing and Phelps wouldn’t of won 8/8 because he would a swam a better race and knew Lezak would of drafted of him.
You can’t comment on the team after the result, conger came 3rd at trails and went 1.45high in prelims, lochte went 1.45 at trials and prelims and had carried that team since 2009, there was no evidence he wouldn’t step up. Phelps hadn’t swam fastest than 1.48.2 in two years, but bowman and NBC had there say, conger got screwed by TV ratings and money.
There was reason Phelps needed to be on that team, there were four better guys prior to the… Read more »
I would say in terms of best personal performance, Ryan Murphy takes the cake. He was just on fire in the backstroke races, but naturally has less opportunities to medal.
But in terms of overall victories and impact on the games, Phelps certainly shows again why we all call him the GOAT swimmer.
Congrats