In the swimming world, it’s impossible to talk about Bob Bowman without mentioning his most successful pupil, Michael Phelps. The legendary coach has etched himself into the history books. The 59-year-old first crossed paths with the swimmer at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club when he was 7. They began working together when he was 11 and went on to create one of the most powerful partnerships the world has ever witnessed.

‘The Flying Fish’ debuted at the 2000 Sydney Olympics at 15, becoming the youngest man on the team in 68 years. Unfortunately, his first berth was a bust. But under Bowman’s wing, the 39-year-old achieved unsurpassed greatness at every Games till his retirement in 2016. The American laid down an incredible legacy by clinching a whopping 28 Olympic medals—23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. Even though it’s been years, the love and respect between the duo hasn’t seemed to have faded. What do we mean?

Bob Bowman sings Michael Phelps’ praises

After spending as much time as they did together, it’s hard not to reflect on their journey. On December 19, Bob Bowman appeared in a casual sit-down interview on The Exponential Athlete podcast. Given how the legendary coach’s current pupil shattered the glass ceiling in the French capital, the host, Ken Jee, was curious about what separated Michael Phelps from his successor, Léon Marchand. The 59-year-old didn’t hold back, “The obvious differences are physical. Michael is this massive, strong, prototypical, you know, swimming machine.” 

On the other hand, Marchand isn’t as tall or big. While he does have what many would consider basic swimming attributes, the coach expressed that “he’s not very physically imposing.” But that wasn’t the only thing that made the Baltimore Bullet a cut above the rest. Bowman went on to explain that their demeanor was poles apart as well. While the Frenchman is known to be more relaxed during training, the same couldn’t be said about the 28x Olympic medalist.

“Michael is very Tiger Woods, incredibly intense about everything he does, and to do his job, he has to kind of get intense,” the legendary coach admitted. He even touched upon their complex relationship that often shifted between close collaboration and conflict. Bowman reiterated that while he was raised to be friendly, Michael Phelps was fiery. This often became glaringly obvious during their numerous training sessions.

What did he mean by that? “I think when you coach Michael, you had to be pretty strong with him sometimes. I had to, like, challenge him. And when he got challenged sometimes, he would push back on me; I would just push back harder, you know?” In comparison, Léon Marchand would be more receptive to Bowman’s instructions. It was this that led to the Frenchman snagging 4 golds in his first-ever Games under the coach.

Yet, the 59-year-old believed that there was room for improvement. While Marchand’s performance in Paris was nothing short of extraordinary, he wasn’t near what he was capable of. But he still gave credit where credit is due. Bowman didn’t shy away from admitting that the 22-year-old was on par with Michael Phelps. According to him, both his mentees have proven to perform better under immense pressure. Even though Michael Phelps has achieved G.O.A.T. status, it wasn’t an effortless journey to the top. What do we mean?

The Olympian put in countless hours and effort

Watching the 39-year-old in the Olympic pool, many would assume he was meant to swim. But being considered a prodigy wasn’t enough to keep him afloat. The Baltimore Bullet went on to shatter the glass ceiling every single time. While the phenom has come across several highs in his career, he’s often faced lows just as well.

So, how did he achieve the title of being the most decorated Olympian of all time? Well, we will let Michael Phelps answer that question for you. One of the many factors was the amount of hours he put into training. However, here’s where it gets interesting. The swimmer had never missed a day of training in six years. 

Bear in mind. This was just as intense as it sounds. The swimmer first tasted victory in the 2004 Athens Games, where he bagged 8 Olympic medals under Bob Bowman’s wing. It only made him hungry for more. So, leading up to the Beijing Olympics, he realized he would have to up his game. What was the Olympian’s solution? “Going six straight years without missing a single day, that is because I wanted to be the best,” he confessed.

On the other hand, it wasn’t the hours that helped him win. It was also the mindset. Michael Phelps revealed that he aimed to prepare like no one ever had because he wanted to be different. While the rest of the swimmers only trained for 6 days, the 39-year-old was in the pool every day. So, did it help? At the 2008 Beijing Games, Phelps clinched 8 Olympic medals—all of them being gold. What do you think of Bob Bowman’s take on the G.O.A.T.?