Phelps is personal. Where did Michael Phelps come from? Phelps and Anthropometry

He was always not like everyone else. A non-standard figure, a special psyche, incredible efficiency and a record number of victories, which hardly anyone will be able to surpass in the foreseeable future. Michael Phelps is a swimmer who literally turns into a torpedo in the water, which is why he was given the nickname "Baltimore Bullet". They talk a lot about him and argue a lot. If the Olympic Games are all about a level playing field, is a swimmer entitled to win because of irregular proportions and mental disorders? Be that as it may, no one doubts that Phelps is a great athlete, whose name will always be written in gold in the history of world sports.

Early biography facts

Michael Fred Phelps is a native of the American city of Baltimore (Maryland). Born into the family of a school principal and a football player, who, despite having three children, divorced when Michael was 9 years old.

Two years earlier, the older sister took the boy to the pool, where he literally immediately showed outstanding swimming ability. After 3 years, the national record in the corresponding age category was already recorded in his personal classification. An experienced mentor Bob Bowman took on the further development of Michael's sports career. The ascent to the sports Olympus was truly rapid. At the age of 15, Phelps was selected to participate in the 2000 Olympics. The fact that he was able to take only 5th place is fully justified by the fact that in terms of age Michael was the youngest participant in the games. Moreover, after only 1 year, he already received the title of Swimmer of the Year in the United States, having managed to break the world record.

Features of the psyche

As a child, the boy was diagnosed with "hyperkinetic disorder" or, as it is more commonly called, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The set of symptoms of this disease - the inability to concentrate for a long time up to "forgot where he was going", impulsiveness and illogical behavior, forgetfulness, a feeling of unclear danger, a constant feeling of an impending catastrophe and, which, it would seem, is not in the spirit of Phelps - a tendency to habitual defeat and the impossibility of completing the task at hand.

In addition, Michael was diagnosed with mild autism. The situation was aggravated by the divorce of the parents, which the boy was going through very hard. But at this time, sport entered Michael's life, which teaches, disciplines and helps to overcome many problems. On the other hand, it was these deviations that became the guarantor of the swimmer's extraordinary diligence and his hyper-responsible attitude to training. Be that as it may, the disease has not gone anywhere, and now, after the end of a sports career, it returns with severe depression and other clinical signs of the disorder, which the swimmer fights with psychologists and which he does not hide from the public.

Sports achivments

Michael's list of outstanding achievements in sports is not only impressive - at this point in time it is an absolute world record. Participation in four Olympics, in which 28 medals were received, of which 23 were of the highest standard, and 13 were received as a result of individual competitions. At the age of 17, he already had 5 world records. In 2008, at the Beijing Olympics, he achieved his long-established goal - to break Spitz's "eternal" record, receiving 7 top awards, and at the next Olympics - eight! In terms of the number of medals and victories, he has no equal in the world.

Physique features

The figure of Phelps throughout his sports career has been the talk of the town among fans, commentators and sports commentators, especially from his opponents. Its disproportion is visible to the naked eye. A very long slender body with an incredibly powerful upper part, wide shoulders and arms that are long, like helicopter blades. Normally, a person's height is either equal to the "wingspan" or exceeds it. Michael has a span of "blades" by 10 cm more than his own height, which is 193 cm. The size of Phelps' 47th leg completes the paradox of proportions.

Evil tongues call the swimmer a victim of hereditary mutations, since the features of the figure are due to the so-called Marfan syndrome, which is an autosomal dominant pathology of the development of connective tissues of hereditary origin. Other symptoms of its manifestations are expressiveness, high growth and elongated limbs with the same extended fingers, poorly developed subcutaneous fatty tissue, thin light bones, and increased joint mobility. In addition, the disease is accompanied by a serious cardiac pathology, which does not allow patients to live without special therapy for more than 30-40 years. Michael needs drugs at least to simply live, and this fact is also of interest to many against the background of the worldwide fight against doping.

Physical factors that help win

Despite the congenital heart disease (or, perhaps, thanks to it), the swimmer's heart is able to pump a huge amount of blood per unit of time. This allows him to quickly recuperate after marathon swims. In addition, Phelps has a unique muscle metabolism. Due to the low level of lactic acid and, as a result, the slow acidification of the muscles, he does not get tired for a long time and has incredible muscle performance.

Another factor that gives Phelps a huge advantage in the water is his super-elastic, literally gutta-percha ankle, thanks to which his legs do not work like normal swimmer's legs, but literally turn into flexible boneless fins. His foot arches more than that of ballerinas in pointe shoes. Lightweight for its size, it weighs only 88 kg. Of course, all these non-standards raise a lot of questions about the allegedly equal chances in the fight for the Olympic podium. But Michael's defenders have serious objections - for example, no one forbids putting super-grown girls and guys on the basketball court.

1. The amount of water he consumes is incredible - up to 91 liters per day, which is more than his own weight. This fact has already hit the Guinness Book of Records and suggests that Phelps is 10 percent more water than other people. Coupled with his physique and light bones, this allows him to stay higher in the water than other swimmers.

1. Mike drinks not only a lot of water and all kinds of useful mineral compounds, but also alcohol. He had already been convicted of drunk driving by the police, for which, despite his services to his fatherland, he was fined $ 250 and forced to attend a lecture course on the topic "Mothers against alcoholism while driving." The final measure was to bail the penalty box. The swimmer himself comments on the fact calmly, calling alcohol the fuel for his "internal combustion engine."

1. With great growth and huge legs, his legs are so disproportionately short that he could ride a pony without reaching the ground. This adds aquadinmics to his body, thanks to which he overtakes swimmers with fins on his feet and even, on a dare, mini-submarines.

1. His arms are long enough to hug his back. During his school years, he easily hugged five classmates at the same time.

1. According to various sources, its daily calorie intake is from 10 to 12 thousand. With Marfan syndrome there are problems with the development of fatty tissue, which is why the swimmer does not gain weight. The main source of energy is chips, pasta, pizza and cola. At least in public. However, the number of calories still raises doubts among specialists, because it is 5 times higher than the norm of an ordinary person.

1. Despite taking medication, proven and recognized by Michael himself to smoke marijuana and a weakness for alcohol, none of the nine Olympic doping tests were positive. He is now part of the WADA organization, whose participants (athletes) have voluntarily agreed to screening samples at any time on any day. However, there are great suspicions that the athlete is receiving doping doses by another, so-called canning method, as evidenced by the marks on his body.

1. Due to hyperactivity and absent-mindedness in childhood, the boy was very difficult to keep track of. There was a case when he ran off to the street for a walk and eventually forgot where he lived. Found it already in California. When his activity became limited to the swimming pool space, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

1. A street in his hometown is named after the swimmer.

There are more than 500 cases when, after his Olympic performances in Beijing, people called Phelps pets and birds, not to mention babies.

Michael Phelps was born on June 30 1985 of the year. His father, Fred Phelps, was a police officer; his mother, Debbie Phelps, was a teacher. Michael Phelps's family lived in Baltimore (Maryland, USA).

Michael started swimming at the age of 7 when his two older sisters, Whitney ( 1978 year of birth) and Hilary ( 1980 year of birth), accepted into the local swimming team. IN 1994 year, his parents divorced, and the children began to live with their mother, with whom Michael still has a very close relationship.

Michael met his coach, Bob Bowman, while training at the North Baltimore Swimming Club. Bob immediately recognized Michael's potential and became his coach, who trains him now.

At the age of 15, Michael Phelps became the youngest participant in the history of American swimming in the Olympic Games. He participated with the American national team in the Sydney Olympics ( 2000 d), although he came there only fifth.

In the spring 2001 Phelps set a world record in the 200 meter butterfly and became the youngest swimmer in history to set a world record. He was then 15 years and 9 months old. He later broke his record at the World Swimming Championships 2001 of the year with a score of 1:54:58, earning his first international medal.

2002 year brought Phelps to the U.S. Summer Nationals. And a few more records: a new world record at a distance of 400 meters complex and records of the USA for 100 meters butterfly and 200 meters mixed style. In the same competition the following year, Phelps broke his own world record of 400 meters in mixed style in 4: 09.09.

Shortly after graduating from Tauson High School (suburb of Baltimore) in 2003 year, 17-year-old Michael Phelps set 5 world records, including the 200m complex at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona with a time of 1:56:04. Then, during the qualifying competitions for the Olympics 2004 he again broke his own world record for the 400 m complex, covering the distance in 4:08:41.

Phelps became a celebrity after the Olympics 2004 years in Athens, where he earned 8 medals (of which 6 were gold). So he repeated the record of the Russian gymnast Alexander Dityatin in the total number of medals received in one Olympics, set by Dityatin in 1980 Mr. Phelps received Gold for distances of 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 200 m complex, 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 complex, bronze - for 200 m freestyle and 4x100 freestyle. He also set 3 Olympic records and 1 world record.

IN 2004 year Bob Bowman was transferred to Michigan, and Michael went with him. He entered the University of Michigan's Sports Marketing and Management Department while continuing to train with his coach.

IN 2007 year Phelps took part in the World Championships in Melbourne, where he won 7 gold medals, setting 5 new world records. In preparation for the Olympic Games 2008 , Phelps set himself the task of breaking the record of his compatriot Mark Spitz, who at the Olympics 1972 of the year in Munich won 7 gold awards.

At the Beijing Olympics 2008 Phelps became a real sensation with 8 gold medals. He won victories at distances of 400 meters in integrated swimming, 200 meters in butterfly, 200 meters in freestyle, 200 meters in swimming, 100 meters in butterfly, as well as in relay races 4x100 meters freestyle, 4x100 complex and 4x200 meters freestyle. In all heats except the 100m butterfly, Michael set world records. So he broke the record of his great predecessor and compatriot Mike Spitz for the most gold won in one Olympics. Having won 14 Olympic gold medals in his career, Michael Phelps became the titled athlete in the world.

At the London Olympic Games in 2012 year in the total number of Olympic awards, Michael surpassed all athletes in all sports - 20 medals, breaking the record (18) held for 48 years, and also became a 16-time Olympic champion.

Outside the pool, Phelps leads the same life as everyone else. He enjoys playing golf and Halo 3 on the computer, watching TV, listening to hip-hop, and eating popcorn. He spends his free time with his friends and the English Bulldog Herman.

Phelps Michael (eng. Michael fred phelps ii, born June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA) is a great American swimmer, the only fourteen-time Olympic champion and 17-time world champion in the history of sports. Height - 193 cm, weight - 91 kg, foot size - 47th. Sports nickname - "Baltimore Bullet".

Biography

Michael Phelps born June 30, 1985. His father, Fred Phelps, was a police officer; his mother, Debbie Phelps, was a teacher. Michael Phelps's family lived in Baltimore (Maryland, USA).

Michael started swimming at the age of 7 when his two older sisters, Whitney (born 1978) and Hilary (born 1980), were accepted into the local swimming team. In 1994, his parents divorced, and the children began to live with their mother, with whom Michael still has a very close relationship.

Michael met his coach, Bob Bowman, while training at the North Baltimore Swimming Club. Bob immediately recognized Michael's potential and became his coach, who trains him now.

At the age of 15, Michael Phelps became the youngest participant in the history of American swimming in the Olympic Games. He participated with the American team in the Sydney Olympics (2000), although he came there only fifth.

A year later, at less than 16 years old, Phelps broke the world record in this form, becoming the youngest world record holder in history. Then he was declared swimmer of the year in the United States.

2002 brought Phelps to the U.S. Summer Nationals. And a few more records: a new world record at a distance of 400 meters complex and records of the USA for 100 meters butterfly and 200 meters mixed style. In the same competition the following year, Phelps broke his own world record of 400 meters in mixed style in 4: 09.09.

Shortly after graduating from Tauson High School, a suburb of Baltimore in 2003, 17-year-old Michael Phelps set 5 world records, including a 200m complex at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona with a time of 1:56:04. Then, in qualifying for the 2004 Olympics, he again broke his own world record for the 400m complex, completing the distance in 4:08:41.

Phelps became a celebrity after the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he earned 8 medals (of which 6 were gold). So he repeated the record of the Russian gymnast Alexander Dityatin for the total number of medals received in one Olympics, set by Dityatin in 1980. Phelps received gold for distances of 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 200 m complex, 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 complex, bronze - over 200 m freestyle and 4x100 freestyle. He also set 3 Olympic records and 1 world record.

In 2004, Bob Bowman was transferred to Michigan, and Michael went with him. He entered the University of Michigan's Sports Marketing and Management Department while continuing to train with his coach.

In 2007, Phelps took part in the World Championships in Melbourne, where he won 7 gold medals, setting 5 new world records. In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, Phelps set himself the task of breaking the record of his compatriot Mark Spitz, who won 7 gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps became a sensation with 8 gold medals. At the XXIX Games in Beijing, Spitz's 1972 "eternal" record was broken.

The phenomenally talented American won victories at the distances of 400 meters in complex swimming, 200 meters in freestyle, 200 meters in butterfly, 200 meters in swimming, 100 meters in butterfly, as well as in relay races 4x100 meters freestyle and 4x200 meters freestyle. In all these heats, except for the hundred-meter butterfly stroke, M. Phelps set world records. And he put the final "golden" point in the relay team at a distance of 4x100 meters by complex swimming. At the same time, the American team won the relay with a world record of 3 minutes. 29.34 s.

Thus, in just his career, the 23-year-old American won 14 Olympic gold medals and turned out to be the most titled athlete in the history of the Olympics. M. Phelps set world records, in total, 32 times.

Michael Phelps is a legendary American swimmer nicknamed "The Baltimore Bullet". His name is probably known not only to fans. Phelps is the holder of many records and holder of the most Olympic medals ever won.

Michael Phelps was born on June 30, 1985 in Baltimore. His father, a police officer, played football for the high school team in his youth. Mother is a teacher at school. Michael also has two older sisters, with whose influence he came to the sport. As a child, Michael was a very active child: at the age of ten, he was even diagnosed with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. The parents of the future world sports star divorced when Michael was 9 years old, and the children stayed with their mother. Until now, the athlete maintains a trusting and warm relationship with his mother.

The beginning of a sports career

Michael has been fond of swimming since the age of seven. He got into the section after his two sisters. There he met his coach, who recognized his talent and took up his training. He remains Phelps' regular coach ever since.

The young athlete made progress quickly. At the age of 15, he already played for the national team in the Olympic Games, setting the first record for age. True, at that time Phelps was left without medals, coming to the finish line only fifth. However, the young talent quickly corrected this state of affairs: a year later he set a world record, becoming the youngest record holder in the world. It is not surprising that at home he was declared the swimmer of the year for this achievement. By the way, Michael won this honorary title 9 times in total!

Michael Phelps has set an incredible number of records. For example, he became the first 23-time Olympic champion. He has 37 world records, some of which have been held for many years. The richest year for success was 2009, when the swimmer set 9 world records at once. Michael is the most awarded Olympic athlete to date, collecting a record number of medals. The most "fruitful" for him were the 2012 Olympic Games, where Phelps collected 22 awards. In total, there are 77 medals in his collection, of which 65 are gold.

Michael Phelps in competition:

Michael's unprecedented swimming success gave his friends and fans a reason to give the athlete another nickname - "Flying Fish". Indeed, in the water, this person clearly feels at home!

Michael Phelps at the 2016 Rio Olympics:

Phelps's peculiarity is an unusual figure. He has too big feet, short legs, an unprecedented arm span and too long a torso. However, it is easy to see that this addition does not interfere and, perhaps, even helps Michael to set records. He became the pride of his country and his hometown of Baltimore, where a street was named after him.

Michael Phelps receives a gold medal:

Personal life

Personal life of Michael Phelps is romantic and directly related to the water track, on which he breaks records. For nine years now, Phelps has been dating Nicole Johnson, the winner of the Miss California title. Their first child was born three months ago. But Michael preferred a sports career, having “floated away” from the altar several times.

Michael Phelps with common-law wife Nicole Johnson:

In 2016, the famous athlete promised to marry if he was defeated at the Rio Olympics. Fate was not slow to give him a chance, sending defeat from a young athlete. A perplexed Michael is going to keep his promise and leave his career for the family. His lucky bride is already planning their wedding, and there is a chance that this time her titled groom will not escape to the pool.

As for Phelps' promise to leave his sports career, it is not worth guessing. Michael already announced his retirement in 2012 but returned to the water track anyway. Perhaps the king of the pool will delight fans with new world records.

You will find biographies of famous athletes

This athlete has earned the nickname "Baltimore Bullet" for a reason. Michael Fred Phelps II - this is the full name of the famous American swimmer - managed to win 23 Olympic Games, 13 of them in individual competitions. Today he is the record holder for the number of awards, which no one has yet managed to surpass.

Michael Phelps was born in June 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland. Michael was one of 3 children of school director Deborah Sue Davisson and football player Michael Fred Phelps. When Michael was 9 years old, his parents' marriage ended. The boy was painfully worried about the divorce of his father and mother. In the 6th grade, the future sports star was diagnosed with hyperactivity and attention deficit.

The older sister brought my 7-year-old brother to the pool. After 3 years, the boy broke the national record for his age group. An experienced coach Bob Bowman took over the further career of a talented swimmer.

Swimming

Under the guidance of a mentor, Michael rapidly climbed the sports Olympus. At the age of 15, Michael was selected to participate in the 2000 Olympics, becoming the youngest competitor in the history of the games. Then, in Sydney, Australia, the swimmer managed to win only 5th place. But a year later, Michael surprised everyone by breaking the world record. In the United States, Phelps was named the 2001 Swimmer.

But that was just a glorious start. In 2003, after graduating from high school, the 17-year-old athlete set world records 5 times. But fame came to him the following year at the Athens Olympics. Before Michael Phelps, 8 medals, of which 6 were gold, were won only by the Russian gymnast Alexander Dityatin in 1980. As for swimming, the American was a pioneer.

In the same 2004, Phelps moved to Michigan with his own permanent coach Bob Bowman. Here Michael entered the university, choosing the Faculty of Sports Management.

In 2007, Michael went to Melbourne, where he participated in the World Championships. Here Phelps managed to win 7 gold medals and set 5 world records. Phelps's name is becoming a household name for the world's swimmers.

But the athlete himself saw in front of him those peaks that remained unconquered. Michael dreamed of breaking the record of compatriot Mark Spitz. He at the Olympic Games, which were held in Munich in 1972, managed to win 7 gold medals. Phelps trained hard. And at the Olympics in Beijing, China in 2008, the athlete managed to achieve what he wanted: 8 gold medals. Spitz's record, which had previously been called "eternal", was achieved and broken.

In 2009, the athlete was accused of doping. The paparazzi captured a swimmer with a pipe for smoking marijuana. And although the athlete's tests were clean, and cannabis smoking is not prohibited out of competition, the US Swimming Federation exponentially disqualified Phelps for three months for disappointing people who believe in him.

The sports biography of Michael Phelps is a series of real triumphs. During his career, the American champion managed to win 19 Olympic gold medals and beat world records 32 times - a result that most swimmers in the world can only dream of.

In 2012, after the London Olympics, 27-year-old Michael Phelps announced his decision to put an end to his sports biography. After participating in this Olympics, the swimmer surpassed all athletes in all sports in the number of Olympic awards. Michael Phelps received 22 medals at that time and broke the record set by a Soviet gymnast. This record was held for 48 years.

But in 2014, the athlete took part in the games again. The champion's fans heard the same words about retirement in 2016: the swimmer again announced that the Olympic Games in Brazil would be his last. In Rio de Janeiro, Phelps once again met the expectations of his fans. The athlete managed to break his own record for gold medals.

Now Michael Phelps is a 23-time Olympic champion. He has 28 awards in his piggy bank, collected from all the Olympics in which he participated. At the same time, 13 of the 23 gold medals of the swimmer belong to individual competitions, which allowed the athlete. Moreover, this record remained unattainable for 2168 years: in 152 BC, the ancient Greek athlete Leonid of Rhodes received 12 gold medals in the individual competition.

Personal life

It was not only a sports career that developed well, but also the personal life of Michael Phelps. He is happily married to model Nicole Johnson, who was named Miss California in 2010.

In May 2016, Nicole gave birth to the happy wife of her first child, whom the couple named Robert. Michael Phelps shared his joy with his fans, saying that he has never experienced greater happiness.

The couple have been together since 2010. The athlete assures that now he simply has to spend more time with his grown up family. And the swimmer really sticks to this plan, in Phelps' Instagram in every second photo the athlete is captured with his family.

The athletic achievements of the swimmer are often associated, in addition to swimming technique, and with the peculiarities of the Phelps figure. Michael has a 47th foot, which is statistically larger than the average for his height. The athlete also has disproportionately short legs and a long torso and arms. At the same time, the swimmer's arm span reaches, according to various estimates, 201-203 cm, which is as much as 10 cm more than the athlete's own height (193 cm).

The weight of the athlete is 83 kg, which is not so remarkable if it were not for the myth about the "Phelps diet". Against this background of the swimmer's victories, the diet attributed to him with 10,000-12,000 calories consumed has become especially popular. But the athlete himself claims that he has never eaten so much.

The swimmer advertises and acts as the face of the LZR Racer tracksuits. In addition, the athlete has launched his own personalized brand of specialized swimming goggles. The design of the glasses was developed by Phelps himself in collaboration with trainer Bob Bowman.

Michael Phelps now

Michael Phelps has proved more than once that he has no competitors among people. Therefore, in 2017, the swimmer agreed to an unusual competition proposed by the Discovery TV channel. At a distance of 100 meters, the Olympic champion s. In this competition, the swimmer lost, the shark covered the 100-meter distance faster by 2 seconds.

February 12, 2018 Michael Phelps woo. The athlete shared this news on Instagram, saying that both Nicole and the baby are doing well.

Awards

• 2003 - champion of the World Championships in Barcelona in competitions at a distance of 400 m and 200 m in complex swimming, at a distance of 200 m butterfly style, in a combined relay race 4 × 100 m
• 2004 - champion of the Olympic Games in Athens in competitions at a distance of 400 m and 200 m in complex swimming, at a distance of 200 m and 100 m butterfly style, in relay 4 × 200 m freestyle and combined relay 4 × 100 m
• 2005 - champion of the World Championships in Montreal in competitions at a distance of 200 m complex swimming and freestyle, in the relay 4 × 100 m freestyle and the combined relay 4 × 100 m
• 2007 - champion of the World Championships in Melbourne in competitions at a distance of 400 m and 200 m in complex swimming, at a distance of 200 m and 100 m in butterfly style, at a distance of 200 m in complex swimming, in relay races 4 × 200 m and 4 × 100 m
• 2008 - champion of the Olympic Games in Beijing in competitions at a distance of 400 m and 200 m complex swimming, at a distance of 200 m and 100 m butterfly style, at a distance of 200 m freestyle, in relay races 4 × 200 m and 4 × 100 m freestyle and combined relay 4 × 100 m
• 2009 - champion of the World Championship in Rome in competitions at a distance of 200 m and 100 m butterfly style, in relay races 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m freestyle and combined relay 4 × 100 m
• 2011 - champion of the World Championships in Shanghai in competitions at a distance of 200 m and 100 m butterfly style, in relay 4x200 m freestyle and combined relay 4 × 100 m
• 2012 - champion of the Olympic Games in London in competitions at a distance of 200 m with integrated swimming and at a distance of 100 m with butterfly style, in relay 4 × 200 m freestyle and combined relay 4 × 100 m
• 2016 - champion of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in competitions at a distance of 200 m in complex swimming and butterfly style, in relay races 4 × 200 m and 4 × 100 m freestyle and combined relay 4 × 100 m