Unique Training Methods That Boosted Michael Phelps’ Chances to Win 200-Meter Butterfly at Beijing Olympics 2008

As athletes train for major sporting events for a long time, they undergo severe physical and mental stress. After that, some may crumble under pressure, while others create history. There is a fine balance between expectations and reality. Apart from having the physical attributes, mental training is important too. Michael Phelps did that in 2008, which led him to win eight gold medals.

Phelps spoke about feeling the pressures of those achievements at that time, but what he has achieved is a feat that might be impossible to match. His coach, Bob Bowman, trained him hard to become a world-class swimmer and challenged him with various obstacles.

Training Michael Phelps to handle everything

The last time a swimmer won seven gold medals was back in 1972 when Mark Spitz dominated the events. That Olympics proved to be the stage for two superstars to rise from the ashes. Usain Bolt dominated the athletics competitions by winning three gold medals. Phelps, in the meantime, won eight. In one of those events, the 200-meter butterfly, he created the world record with a time of 1:52.03. But the way he won that race is legendary.

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This is where Bob Bowman’s coaching came into play. Wanting him to make him “familiar with chaos”, Bowman used to hide his goggles before races at meets. This forced him to swim without goggles. At times, he arranged late pickups to make him swim, in spite of missing a meal. On the other hand, he cracked his goggles to let the water flow inside and make him hard to swim. It obstructs a person’s vision.

Rigorous methods for a fruitful cause

Putting him in tough situations, Phelps learned from his experience and had an easy time coping with it in Beijing. As he dove into the pool, water gushed inside the goggles making him temporarily blind underwater. He swam the whole race with incredible determination and won the race. Thus, training him for expected mishaps helped him to achieve the unthinkable.

The other events he won the gold medals were the 400 medley, 200 freestyle, 200 medley,100 butterfly, 4×100 freestyle relay, 4×100 medley relay, 4×200 freestyle relay. History was made in Beijing, during those Olympic Games.

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