We’re counting down the top 10 moments of Michael Phelps’ career, so far. You, our readers, can participate, by voting for number one! Either Tweet or Comment on our Facebook with #phelpstop10lezaked if your number one is the improbable 400 free relay come-from-behind victory in Beijing is your top Phelps moment. Tweet or Facebook #phelpstop10cavic if your favorite is the almost unseeable 100 fly win over Milorad Cavic in Beijing, or Tweet/Comment #phelpstop108golds if your pick is the 400 medley relay, which ran Phelps into the history books as his 8th gold medal.
#6 – PHELPS TAKES DOWN IAN CROCKER AT THE 2004 OLYMPICS
Since breaking out onto the international scene at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Michael Phelps didn’t have much experience competing in the 100m fly at an international level. At the 2002 Pan Pacs he chose not to swim the 100m fly, and the gold went to his teammate Ian Crocker.
2002 saw the creation of a more typical Michael Phelps schedule. Phelps swam both IM’s, the 200m fly, and was a member of two relays. Come the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Phelps added the 100m fly to his schedule, getting ever closer to the daunting program he swam in Athens and Beijing.
In the prelims of the 100m fly, Phelps took the top seed in 52.27 followed by Crocker in 52.35. When the semi-finals came along, Ukraine’s Andrii Serdinov broke Australian Michael Klim’s world record from 1999 with a time of 51.76. Phelps came along in the next semi-final to send a message, breaking Serdinov’s couple-minute-old record with a time of 51.47.
Come the final, it was clearly between Serdinov, Crocker and Phelps. Crocker took the early lead at the 50; Phelps tried to track him down in what later would become a typical 100m fly race strategy for him. Phelps couldn’t catch him and Crocker finished in 50.98 to be the first man under the 51-second barrier. Phelps finished second behind him in 51.10, also under his previous world record.
As anyone who has watched Phelps throughout his career knows, this was just the start of a big rivalry between the two swimmers. When Phelps loses, he’s not going to settle for silver again.
Come Athens there was already talk about Phelps matching Spitz’ record or going eight for eight. The races that seemed most troublesome for him were the 100m fly, 200m freestyle, and obviously the relays were out of his complete control.
Already heavy into his schedule, Phelps took the third spot in the 100m fly heats behind Crocker and Serdinov (and one ahead of Milorad Cavic who he would get to know very well in later years). In the first semi-final, Serdinov set a new Olympic record with a time of 51.74. Mocking the exchange of the world record in 2003, Phelps broke it in the next semi-final with a new Olympic record time of 52.61.
Crocker started the final just as he had a year earlier in Barcelona, going out way ahead of the rest of the field. For anyone who knew anything about swimming, at the 75m mark it looked as though Crocker had all but won the race. In the last 20m Phelps looked as though he’d found a new gear. He started accelerating forward and forward; it was clear that he was moving up on Crocker, but the question remained if he had left himself enough room to do so. In the last 10m, it would’ve been easy to call Crocker for gold but Phelps put his head down, displayed a perfect finish and got his hands on the wall just four one-hundredths ahead of Crocker. In what looked like a miracle, Phelps showed the swimming community the true power and will of getting your hands on the wall.
This race gave Phelps his fifth gold of the Athens Olympics and paved the way for the golden-touch, heart throbbing 100m fly’s that added so much excitement to his illustrious career.
For video footage click here.
SEE ALSO
#7- Phelps becomes the youngest male in 68 years to make the Olympic team.
#8 – Phelps proves he doesn’t need the Super Suit to win-2009 World Championships 100 Fly.
#9 – Phelps Becomes First Male to Three-Peat in Same Event.
#10 – Phelps Becomes the Youngest Male Swimmer to Break a World Record.
Sore subject, i’m such a huge crocker fan being from texas, and knowing him, also swimming under his coach from Maine. I could go into detail about why he didn’t perform well at Olympic competitions (from his old coaches, and his perspective) but it would be a little rude. and yes someone asked if he was sick in 04, he was.
I got to feel for Crocker’s, not the most fortunate swimmer. One of the best 100 fly swimmers ever, he finished 4th by 0.22 in 2000, second by 0.04 in 2004, and fourth again by 0.01 in 2008. Also second by 0.05 in 2007 and by 0.15 in 2001. His only narrow win came in 2003, by 0.12. In 2005 he swims a superb WR, only to have it broken prematurely just 4 years later with the help of advanced suits. His 100 fly SC WR was also broken in 2009, aided by suits.
Add to that 3x silver in the 50 fly, losing by (0.19, 0.16, and 0.29 seconds, relatively large margins here at least!), and that infamous relay… Read more »
Unfiltered tracked this perfectly
Race video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqR6YiyDdec
Wasn’t Ian Crocker sick during the 2004 Olympics? I thought it was really cool when Phelps sat out the 400 MR so that Ian could swim it.
yes he was
I honestly think one of the top three moments of Phelps’s career (up there with his Beijing 100 Fly and 400FR) was the medal ceremony for the 200 Fly in London. After getting out-touched by Le Clos, Phelps left the pool quickly in disappointment. But in a matter of minutes, he realized that he had been Le Clos’s inspiration since 2004, and that through Le Clos he had accomplished his greatest goal: to change the sport of swimming. Phelps was incredibly gracious on the medal stand and afterwards took extra time to walk around the pool with Le Clos, posing for photos and giving him pointers on how to navigate the press before his next race. In that moment, he… Read more »
Excellent point, ML. This humanized him – which up until that point was hard to find. He made a lot of fans because of that moment of humility.
I totally agree. That show of grace form Phelps during the 200 fly medal ceremony and after is among my most favorite of Phelps’ moments. And that makes his winning the 200 IM and 100 fly sweeter actually.
Some say that Phelps was lucky to have won so many important 100 flys by such narrow touch-outs. But it can’t be just coincidence. I think one of the GOATs amazing skills as a back-halfer is that he knew EXACTLY when to switch gears for the win.
Absolutely!
It’s not a question of being lucky.
Mental. Technique. And hatred of the defeat.
flawless preparation + most competitive person on earth = winning