Legendary Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe was in India this week as part of the Star Sports commentator’s panel for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and the freestyle great spoke to local media about Michael Phelps‘ chances at additional Olympic medals this summer.
“He’s good enough to make one of those positions in the relays,” Thorpe told the India Times, “because it’s such a strong American team that it will win medals if not gold medals for sure and Michael can potentially win individual events as long as the rest of the world stays at the level that is. If they improve Michael will find it difficult. I wish him luck.”
Thorpe also talked about swimming in Phelps’ large media shadow, contrasted his 2012 comeback attempt with Phelps’ current one and talked about Phelps’ new challenge of balancing swimming and fatherhood. Here are a few excerpts from the India Times Q&A:
Did Phelps’ extra number of medals made you feel ever that your achievements will be undermined?
Not at all! It wasn’t something for me that was ever a priority. My preference would have been there if Michael (Phelps) and I had swum at the same time, exactly the same time. I had even defeated Michael once but mind you to his credit that wasn’t his best event. It would have been great for the sport globally if that had happened. Michael and my career overlapped just a little bit. He is one of my friends. I think he’s been great to bring an audience into swimming. We swam in different events else we wouldn’t have crossed paths even if our career had overlapped we wouldn’t have competed beyond a couple of races. I wouldn’t be competing in his best race and he wouldn’t in mine.You had a failed comeback bid when you were 29 in London Olympics. How do you see Phelps (at age 31) trying to make a return for Rio Games.
It also makes a difference that how long have you been out. I was out for more than four years and didn’t even swim a stroke. I swam four times in four years. He was out for less time. The thing is when people return to sport, they have different motivations for what they want to do it for. For me, I wanted to compete in the Olympics again, I was really clear about that, it wasn’t only to just try it out. I also wanted to fall back to what I love, how I felt as a kid. For Michael, he wants to be part of relays. He wants to have one of the last opportunities to compete. He’s good enough to make one of those positions in the relays because it’s such a strong American team that it will win medals if not gold medals for sure and Michael can potentially win individual events as long as the rest of the world stays at the level that is. If they improve Michael will find it difficult. I wish him luck.Must be difficult for Phelps to balance swimming with fatherhood?
It’s a new chapter. It’s very easy we project what we want to say about champions rather than considering what they want. For Michael, it would be I just want a swim or I haven’t swum in Rio, finish off something that’s in my timezone. Maybe now he has a child and he thinks about it in a different way – why wouldn’t I do it because the rest of my life I will be spending with the kids. So we not always understand what the stories are behind why the athletes want to compete. I know a lot of people who want to maintain their statistics and their careers pure, not compromising on that I am not good perhaps when they return.
You can check out the full interview here. Thorpe goes on to talk about Australia’s medal chances in Rio, and also weighs in on WADA’s re-tests of anti-doping samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Let’s all be honest here Ian Who? I am sure Phelps didn’t bother even reading the interview. Sometimes it is better to just go away or at least keep your mouth shut. There are much bigger fish to fry like le Clos than those from the past. And Phelps is so much more mature and focused now. If he exceeds how he swam last summer at Nationals for the next month and a half he should get at least 3 individual gold medals and one relay gold medal is what I think. Stay tuned down under.
Let’s keep in mind that Phelps is working harder than he has since 2007 or 2008. He is really worn out and has still been putting up pretty good inseason times. Last summer he was swimming really slow inseason but swam super fast at Nationals. This year he has been working even harder and has swam some pretty fast times. Remember he is 31 and is going to get a super taper.
I don’ t think the question us how much he has trained. The question is whether he can keep pace with the schedule that seems to be in front of him. Three individual and three relay? Pretty heavy lift as the years roll by.
The thing that strikes me about Phelps today is that he now has to rely on speed above grit, so if he can swim ahead of the field, he may win. But when was the last time he won a tight race? Think the 200 IM at Pan Pacs. Think his recent loss to Schooling in Texas. When he is out way ahead, like at Nationals, he makes it, but when someone is charging hard… Read more »
Very interesting point. I think all of his individual races will come down to the very last stroke, so we’ll see if he’s still got that fire.
I think he wants to have a lerfect race, not a 2008 100 fly.
Perfect
I am sure you are right, but what he wants and what the competition brings are separate things.
If he wants it bad enough he would rather try hard enough to have a heart attack after the race than go a horrible first half and awesome last half.
And he did go 26.3 on his 100 fly comeback. He just needs to improve his first 50.
….
I mean he may not have the same Finnish as he did back in the day, but he still can Finnish. I mean last summer he brought his 100 fly back in 26. Which means he came back way faster than anyone In the world last year. In terms of getting touched out in races for example His 100 fly with schooling that was more of him being way more worn out than everyone. He had just gotten back from altitude where everyone from Texas seemed to be relatively rested.
When it comes to his age getting in the way of his schedule of events that is something I’m sure Bob and him are aware of and have planned… Read more »
26.3 on his comeback. That is faster than his wr comeback. He just needs to go out faster, clean his 0.81 start, and maybe 26.2 on the way back for a sub 50. That world record is looking breakable.
Phelps 2009: 23.3 26.4. 49.82 Lzr Racer Bodysuit, bad shape.
Phelps 2015 .81 start long turn into wall, 24.1 26.3 50.45, fastest legal swim ever.
Plus he has a WHOLE other year of training. And abstaining from alchohol even longer, he is also bloodlusted. He broke his wrist before 2008 olympics, but did a lot extra kick. So he went slower than he could have overall. Even with a textile suit I think he would break 1:52. 2012 he poorly… Read more »
50.40 is the fastest textile swim ever. Ian Crocker 2005 WC
judging just from season results -much depends if MP can get on top of freestyle. There is more competition within the US for those relay spots than there was for London or Beijing. Not spectacular sub 48s & 1.44s but grouped up in the low 48s & 1.45-6s.
I expect MP to get on the US team for 100-200fly. He is not better than Cseh or CLC by a large enough margin to be a certainty for gold but an excellent chance of a medal . Schooling is the big danger to lock any of the 3 out in the 100.
in the 200im -if at the 150 if all are equal -Hagino has the free 200 & 400 already… Read more »
Roughly agree. I think there will be real fight among 5-6 guys in 100 fly for the podium. The 200 seems to be not so open, but also really tough. You were very polite in your comment but presently MP simply isn’t better than Cseh. At the moment Laci is better. Otherwise Hagino will win both IM. Where are the 5 golds? And 4? ….
As it often happens, you give the most insightful comment. Plenty of wisdom too.
Isn’t too late in Sydney? These type of comments aren’t welcomed here, just as mine or some other’s.
Spot on Gina. Nice to see rational and unbiased views being posted.
I would love to see Laszlo get a good medal in the 200 fly. It’s between him and Phelps. I don’t think Les clos is as tough of a competitor as those two.
Le Clos and Cesh will go 1:52 mid or low I think. While Phelps breaks his Wr.
I’ve already answered it elsewhere. Dream.
Why is there no chance that Phelps wins? If he could see the posts you are making (and he can if he wants to), you would be giving him fuel. And Phelps has proven to be the better 200 flyer over, and over, and over. 1:52.91 is impressive for the Hungrian, and I wasn’t expecting that. But if you are ignoring the facts, your belief is really made up. I want him to do good in Rio, but I can’t believe he would beat the GOAT. 1:52.1 is my prediction for him.
I don’t like Le Clos, not even a little bit, but he’s tough as hell. He’s every bit the competitor those two are.
If he were every bit as you say, he would have won a lot more in London and Kazan. I think he is going to be a toughie for Phelps in the 100 fly. Predicting a sub 50 at best. 50.2 at worst.
Le Clos will be tough.
Again? Oh no he di’int!
Actually, he didn’t. Look carefully, the headline is a slight paraphrase and the quote is a few words out of the direct quote taken slightly out of context- a masterful clickbait by SwimSwam, but not malicious, all in fun, and a more or less reasonable statement taken in full context. Thorpe and Phelps are friendly, and I know that if Thorpe thinks this might help motivate Phelps a bit, then so be it. Phelps seems to be swimming less angry now and more for fun and passion so if he takes it as a subtle playful challenge and reference to Thorpe’s previous statement 4 years ago, it might help.
Read past the headline. It’s 2016, we should all know by now not to take internet headlines seriously without context. All he said was that if the world continues to get faster, Phelps is going to have a hard time winning. Swimming is getting faster every year. Historically, Phelps has gone into the Olympics as the clear favorite, head and shoulders above the rest (except for Lochte in the IM), in most of his events. I think it’s been a while since Phelps has gone into an OG with so many people close to him. Cseh/Schooling/Le Clos in the fly events, Lochte/Hagino in the IM, a whole s-ton of guys in the 200 free if he decides to take that… Read more »
I give Mr. Thorpe and the Comment Section Moderator: 10 Dismissive Wank Motions.
I think the Thorpedo said this on purpose. MP will be ready
I think the thorpedo sank long time ago !