This week we’ve seen a little drama between Olympic Teammates, more swimmers scratching to focus on the 4×100 Free Relay, and two national age group records.
What’s been said has been said, can’t be taken back (though apparently Clary tried to have it retracted). Clary and Phelps have talked over it, and whether or not what they said yesterday is how they truly feel about the situation now, they seem to be trying to move on with things and concentrate on London. And whatever we fans believe is the truth or not, it’s probably about time we let this thing blow over too.
The wonderful thing with swimming is you swim your own race.If you feel you deserve to win more than someone else, you have an opportunity to prove that.Get in the water and do it.Natural talent is just that, and training may enhance it, but you can’t take it away. Stop worrrying about what someone else does, and take time to turn around and look back at the way you have come….if there are only a handful of people(or one) ahead of you, it is time to pat yourself on the back and say “Wow, I worked hard, I believed in my dream, and look how far I have come.”Then, turn around again look ahead and own the next race.When… Read more »
really?
12 years ago
Anyone who thinks Phelps didn’t work hard leading up to Beijing is an idiot. Remember this is the guy who didn’t take a day off for what, 5 or 6 years? The media went wild over how many calories he had to consume just to keep up. I think he deserved a break after the greatest Olympic swimming performance in history. He will be prepared for London and will leave the most decorated Olympian ev. USA! USA! USA!
Apparently Clary’s word wipes out all the words of Phelps’ other training partners who have said other wise. I believe swim swam has a video of young Chase Kaliz saying Phelps is the best training partner anybody could ask for. So many other swimmers have commented on how training with Phelps has made them swim faster, but Clary lets his jealousy out and suddently MP is a slacker? Completely crazy.
Erik Vendt and Davis Tarwater, who were also at Michigan in 2007/2008, have been quoted as saying similarly to Chase. But hey, maybe Phelps paid them all to say that…yeah, I don’t think so either.
Come on
12 years ago
Honestly what Clary said was true, just because Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals four years ago, that was FOUR YEARS AGO. That doesn’t make him greater than God now, he doesn’t work hard, he really doesn’t want, and it is a real shame that someone can swim fast without training hard, but lets he real. Michael Phelps obviously got his spot on the team because he earned, but he sure as hell does not deserve it.
AnotherSwimmingFan
12 years ago
People are giving Clary such a bad time for this. We all understand that it was a mistake for him to do this, but who can blame him? He was being honest. I think that people who say “grow up Clary” haven’t had very many situations in their lives where they saw someone work much less than they did and earn far more. Team USA has done a good job in doing damage control and moving on, but the media and countless Internet users will continue to label Clary as a crybaby. Honestly, I think Clary was saying what a lot of Olympic-level athletes are thinking. “Why can’t I beat this guy even though I give up everything for a… Read more »
So what if what he said was true? You don’t say things like that about your team mates! I am pretty sure we have all at some point had that team mate who didn’t work as hard, but was always faster. In my case there were several, but you don’t just call them out and cause a rift. You suck it up and focus on yourself and your swimming, not what someone else is doing. So yes, Clary is a crybaby and I do say grow up. Suck it up and support your team mates.
I think it’s pretty amazing that someone can swim fast without training too much. It’s something called ‘God given talent’ and it’s a rare sight these days. It’s like when you watch a talented painter draw a portrait in 5 min without even trying, or when you listen to Adele sing. You don’t ask yourself if Adele sings 6 hours a day at home or not at all. You just relax and enjoy. The same with Michael Phelps. Relax and enjoy his swimming, his amazing butterfly, while you can. You’ll probably never see another one like him …
Another analogy is watching a magician. Is it more fun to sit and watch a magic show and be amazed, or is it more fun to spend the whole time trying to figure the secret behind the tricks? Probably depends largely on perspective.
How can you say Phelps earned his spot and but doesn’t deserve it.That’s a contradiction. I didn’t see Clary take 3-4 trips to Colorado Springs to bust his ass this year. Clary has plenty of extracirrciular activities outside the pool (which he should) that lead me to believe he doesn’t eat, breath, sleep swimming as he’d have you believe.
Justin Thompson
12 years ago
Just when you start rooting for Clary because he isn’t as talented as Phelps and Lochte but is a workhorse he goes and says something stupid like this and reveals a fair bit of jealousy towards Phelps in the process. It would be one thing if he had actually swam in an Olympics before and even won a medal of any color, but the guy is a scrub in retrospect. Crying about Phelps deciding to swim the 400IM like he should just step aside and let the number #3 swimmer have the slot. You know after the 2009 World Championships when Cavic talked all that smack that this is nothing to Phelps, but imagine the pressure Clary will have on… Read more »
Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com.
He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming.
Aside from his life on the InterWet, …
What’s been said has been said, can’t be taken back (though apparently Clary tried to have it retracted). Clary and Phelps have talked over it, and whether or not what they said yesterday is how they truly feel about the situation now, they seem to be trying to move on with things and concentrate on London. And whatever we fans believe is the truth or not, it’s probably about time we let this thing blow over too.
The wonderful thing with swimming is you swim your own race.If you feel you deserve to win more than someone else, you have an opportunity to prove that.Get in the water and do it.Natural talent is just that, and training may enhance it, but you can’t take it away.
Stop worrrying about what someone else does, and take time to turn around and look back at the way you have come….if there are only a handful of people(or one) ahead of you, it is time to pat yourself on the back and say “Wow, I worked hard, I believed in my dream, and look how far I have come.”Then, turn around again look ahead and own the next race.When… Read more »
Anyone who thinks Phelps didn’t work hard leading up to Beijing is an idiot. Remember this is the guy who didn’t take a day off for what, 5 or 6 years? The media went wild over how many calories he had to consume just to keep up. I think he deserved a break after the greatest Olympic swimming performance in history. He will be prepared for London and will leave the most decorated Olympian ev. USA! USA! USA!
Apparently Clary’s word wipes out all the words of Phelps’ other training partners who have said other wise. I believe swim swam has a video of young Chase Kaliz saying Phelps is the best training partner anybody could ask for. So many other swimmers have commented on how training with Phelps has made them swim faster, but Clary lets his jealousy out and suddently MP is a slacker? Completely crazy.
Erik Vendt and Davis Tarwater, who were also at Michigan in 2007/2008, have been quoted as saying similarly to Chase. But hey, maybe Phelps paid them all to say that…yeah, I don’t think so either.
Honestly what Clary said was true, just because Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals four years ago, that was FOUR YEARS AGO. That doesn’t make him greater than God now, he doesn’t work hard, he really doesn’t want, and it is a real shame that someone can swim fast without training hard, but lets he real. Michael Phelps obviously got his spot on the team because he earned, but he sure as hell does not deserve it.
People are giving Clary such a bad time for this. We all understand that it was a mistake for him to do this, but who can blame him? He was being honest. I think that people who say “grow up Clary” haven’t had very many situations in their lives where they saw someone work much less than they did and earn far more. Team USA has done a good job in doing damage control and moving on, but the media and countless Internet users will continue to label Clary as a crybaby. Honestly, I think Clary was saying what a lot of Olympic-level athletes are thinking. “Why can’t I beat this guy even though I give up everything for a… Read more »
So what if what he said was true? You don’t say things like that about your team mates! I am pretty sure we have all at some point had that team mate who didn’t work as hard, but was always faster. In my case there were several, but you don’t just call them out and cause a rift. You suck it up and focus on yourself and your swimming, not what someone else is doing. So yes, Clary is a crybaby and I do say grow up. Suck it up and support your team mates.
I think it’s pretty amazing that someone can swim fast without training too much. It’s something called ‘God given talent’ and it’s a rare sight these days. It’s like when you watch a talented painter draw a portrait in 5 min without even trying, or when you listen to Adele sing. You don’t ask yourself if Adele sings 6 hours a day at home or not at all. You just relax and enjoy. The same with Michael Phelps. Relax and enjoy his swimming, his amazing butterfly, while you can. You’ll probably never see another one like him …
This was written as a reply to @come on
Another analogy is watching a magician. Is it more fun to sit and watch a magic show and be amazed, or is it more fun to spend the whole time trying to figure the secret behind the tricks? Probably depends largely on perspective.
How can you say Phelps earned his spot and but doesn’t deserve it.That’s a contradiction. I didn’t see Clary take 3-4 trips to Colorado Springs to bust his ass this year. Clary has plenty of extracirrciular activities outside the pool (which he should) that lead me to believe he doesn’t eat, breath, sleep swimming as he’d have you believe.
Just when you start rooting for Clary because he isn’t as talented as Phelps and Lochte but is a workhorse he goes and says something stupid like this and reveals a fair bit of jealousy towards Phelps in the process. It would be one thing if he had actually swam in an Olympics before and even won a medal of any color, but the guy is a scrub in retrospect. Crying about Phelps deciding to swim the 400IM like he should just step aside and let the number #3 swimmer have the slot. You know after the 2009 World Championships when Cavic talked all that smack that this is nothing to Phelps, but imagine the pressure Clary will have on… Read more »
Clary is gonna look really stupid if he doesn’t medal or final
Because two medals at last year’s world championships makes someone a ‘nobody’ or chump?
Clary is NOT the brightest star in the sky….
or probably hurt just as much is if speedo would drop him!
Good for phelps… He kicks Clary’s a** anyways!!