Michael Phelps Remains the Goat, but This American Swimming Champion Who Turned Pro at 14 Has His Own Legacy

Michael Andrew, who is currently 25, has the rare accomplishment of turning pro at the age of 14 and has been creating ripples in the swimming community since. Touted as the frontrunner to carry Michael Phelps’ legacy, Andrew has achieved significant success so far. Andrew made his mark in the World Junior Championships, as he won 4 gold medals in the 2015 and 2017 editions. 

He then went on to back his antics with gold medals in the Pan Pacific and World Championships. And now, while Andrew is bracing for the Paris Olympics, the comparison with Michael Phelps is becoming inevitable. During a recent interview, when the question was raised, Andrew provided a quite interesting response. 

Michael Andrew speaks about Phelps

In a clip uploaded by Kyle Millis on YouTube, Michael Andrew reflected on the comparisons related to Michael Phelps. As gleeful as the comparison might sound, Andrew had a different perspective. Talking about the same, the 25-year-old swimmer clarified that he wanted to be the first Michael Andrew and not the next Michael Phelps. He further detailed that such comparisons are quite a huge mental pressure for the athletes. 

Andrew has learned quite a few things in his career so far. Now, he doesn’t bother about records and solely focuses on bettering his swimming game. According to the 25-year-old, “I quickly realized there’s nothing like there’s no amount of records that can be broken in a single weekend or a single season yeah to appease people or to make them happy.” 

Andrew also discussed dealing with negatives in his life. With the Paris Olympics now knocking at the door, a young talent like Andrew needs to keep a cool head. And quite assuringly, the 25-year-old laid down his perception of hate. He said, “I think generally the people that want you to fail will always find a way to speak negatively towards the success that you’re having yeah um and so I tried to shift it in my mind.” Well, Andrew might not be interested in a comparison with Michael Phelps. But his shenanigans at such a young age compel us to do so. 

Michael Andrew vs Michael Phelps: A Face-off

Michael Andrew has taken over Michael Phelps in terms of being the youngest to go pro. However, when Phelps turned pro at 16, he was already holding a world record and was an Olympian. Andrew, on the contrary, is no bunny either. He has an astounding 75 national age group records already and is threatening to break more records as he swims along. Clinching an Olympic gold at the Tokyo Olympics, Andrew set a world record in the 4x100m medley discipline. 

Competing at the World Aquatics Championships, Andrew reached the finals of all four events, becoming the first to do so. However, despite all the glory, Andrew has a long way to go if he ever wants to eclipse Michael Phelps. Phelps’ record of 23 Olympic gold medals looks untouchable. He also has the most number of career gold medals by a swimmer, tallying at 66. Thus, it is sure that Paris will present us with an electric show from Michael Andrew. But as of now, we should probably put the comparisons with Michael Phelps to rest when it comes to Michael Andrew.