17 Years After Michael Phelps’ Historic Win, Rod Laver Arena Sets Stage for High-Profile Matches

Michael Phelps was a force to be reckoned with. Now retired, the swimming realm can’t pass off without his name on top. By far, the most decorated athlete in the Summer Olympics history, Phelps stands with 28 medals across all the Olympics he participated in. But the most notable and path-breaking was the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he showed off eight golds around his neck. Before that, the Australian Rod Laver Arena had played the most crucial role in anchoring him to the pole position of Beijing.

It was the 12th FINA World Championships in 2007, where the world witnessed Phelps smashing records and counting laurels. Inarguably a lucky platform for the 38-year-old, let’s take a look at his wins in Rod Laver before the Australian Open kicks off in 2024.

Michael Phelps’ history in Rod Laver

Tying with Mark Spitz, who was the sole proprietor of the global long-course championship record, Phelps smashed five world records in that event. Starting with the 400m Freestyle, Michael Phelps swam in 48.42 in the lead-off leg, thus moving on to the next fresh winning day. As the 200m Freestyle rolled in, he clocked  1:43.86 to push past Aussie homeboy Ian Thorpe’s then-standing world record.

Next up was the 200m Butterfly. Phelps finished with 1:52.09, defeating his Chinese counterpart. Interestingly, this event was proof that Michael Phelps was competing against himself. In the 200m Individual Medley, the ‘Flying Fish’ flew to clock 1:54.98, touching the 1:55 barrier as the first man in history. Further on, in the 800m Freestyle Relay, Phelps opened the leap with 1:45.36, therefore steering his team to victory. Next up was the 100m Butterfly, where Phelps rallied against US teammate Ian Crocker to grab the win.

400m Individual Medley saw the reigning champion finish at 4:06.22, thus breaking his world record set at the 2004 Olympics. Working as a warm-up event, Rod Laver Arena’s event toiled to help him march towards Beijing. But amid his several medal-winning events, there was a silent battle that stirred the internet in 2007.

Two stalwarts – Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps stole the limelight

The iconic event of the 2004 Olympics, was a battle of three legends, Ian Thorpe, Pieter van den Hoogenband, and Phelps. Aka the “Race of the Century,” the 200m Freestyle was enough to put Thorpe in the No.1 position, especially for the Australian fans.

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Coach Don Talbot of the Australian team had measured the pace before the athletes went against each other in Rod Laver. Unwilling to pass on the leader’s torch to the US stunner, Talbot issued, “Thorpe is still No. 1 in my opinion, and Phelps doesn’t outdo him yet”. Railroading the competition, Phelps had adored his resume with so many wins that it still shines brightly now.

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