To be blessed with immaculate physical attributes is something. Take, for example, Shaquille O’Neal. His enormous stature saw him dominating the NBA like no one else. Simone Biles had a lower center of gravity which proved to be a catalyst to do death-defying flips easily. Similarly, Michael Phelps is a physical specimen with various biological advantages to his name in competitive swimming. And clearly, the first point that comes to our minds is the wingspan. 

Having a greater wingspan assists swimmers in forcing their way inside the water. Therefore, he could come on top in his races. Fans knew him for this. But, he is not the person who leads the way. There is another swimmer with an even wider wingspan than the legend, a swimmer who dominated the Olympics for some time. 

Michael Phelps, please step aside!

For starters, he shares Phelps’ first name. Three-time Olympic gold medalist, Michael Gross, takes home the title for the widest wingspan in competitive swimming. Phelps stands at around 6’4″ and has a wingspan of 79 inches. As for Gross, he measures 6’7″ in height and has a colossal wingspan of 84 inches. He had the moniker of The Albatross and defined those claims perfectly.

The wandering albatross is a large seabird with a wingspan of up to 433 inches. It helps the bird maneuver through the ocean winds and glides for hours without flapping its wings. Swimmers like Gross and Phelps use this advantage well, especially in the butterfly stroke. It improves the pulling power in the water and works like paddles used in boats. Using those long paddles, he achieved great success in the Olympics. 

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He won two gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the 200-meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly. In addition, he added one more gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Gross also has two silver medals and a bronze, showcasing his talents in the pool. However, Michael Phelps has certain advantages that Gross probably would not have. 

A win for Phelps!

The upper body of the Phelps or the torso is massively longer than other swimmers. It helps him get past his opponents with ease and provides a clear advantage. Likewise, his lower body is 5’10” long and reduces resistance to water. With a foot size of 14 inches, it acts like flippers and helps his way inside the swimming pool. Another fascinating advantage he has is the lactic acid his body produces. 

Human bodies produce lactic acid, and it causes fatigue and slows down muscle contraction. While going full throttle doing physical activity, the body must flush out this acid before one can exert it again. Phelps’ body produces half the lactic acid compared to the average, which helps him recover better. Hence, the results show in the pool. But yes, it is not always about the physical attributes. 

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Dedication, hard work, and consistency matter. It is this what separated him from the rest. For Phelps, being the GOAT is his moniker.