Mo's Manic Monday - Wax

Posted: Monday, August 18, 2008 by Travis Cody in
32



Welcome to another Manic Monday with Morgen. Don't forget to cruise by MM HQ at It's A Blog Eat Blog World. Today's theme is Wax.



American swimmer Michael Phelps Waxed the competition last week, winning 8 gold medals to surpass Mark Spitz as the winningest athlete in a single Olympic games.

Here is what he did.

Won the 400-meter Individual Medley in world record time of 4:03.84.

Won the 4x100-meter Freestyle Relay with Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak in world record time of 3:08.24. Lezak was the star of this relay, chasing down and just out-touching the French swimmer to keep Phelps on track for 8 gold medals.

Won the 200-meter Freestyle in world record time of 1:42.96.

Won the 200-meter Butterfly in world record time of 1:52.03.

Won the 4x200-meter Freestyle Relay with Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay, and Ricky Berens in world record time of 6:58.56.

Won the 200-meter Individual Medley in world record time of 1:54.23.

Won the 100-meter Butterfly by just touching out Milorad Cavic, 50.58 to 50.59 in an Olympic Record.

Won the 4x100-meter Individual Medley relay with Aaron Peirsol (backstroke), Brendan Hansen (breastroke), and Jason Lezak (freestyle anchor). Phelps swam the Butterfly third leg, swimming the fastest 100m Fly split ever and giving Lezak a lead which he held as the Americans won in another world record time of 3:29.34.

He had to swim 17 times, including qualifying swims, to get those 8 gold medals. He posted personal best times in every final, including 7 world records.

Let's put that in perspective. He swam freestyle and butterfly individual events, at multiple distances, against specialists in those events. He swam the fly leg on an IM relay. And he swam freestyle legs on two relays. The only breaks he got for qualifying swims were for the relays, when the rules allow different swimmers to swim in the qualifying heats. Otherwise he had to swim in every qualifying heat to make the finals, against swimmers who weren't in the pool every day like he was.

In two Olympic Games, 2004 and 2008, Phelps has 14 gold medals and 2 bronze medals.

He wasn't the only story in the first week of the 2008 Olympics. But when you set world records and dominate your events like he did, you're a pretty big deal.

Another pretty big deal was Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who Waxed the field in the 100m sprint in track in a blistering world record time of 9.69. And he didn't even look like he was trying! He was celebrating for the final 10-15 meters of that race and no other sprinter was within 10 feet of him.

Congratulations Michael Phelps! Congratulations Usain Bolt!

And congratulations to all the athletes who have competed in the first week of these games.

32 comments:

  1. A brilliant performance. And my own Team GB are dong better, this time, than they've ever done.
    Hope it isn't that we feel at home in the pollution.

  1. Well, I'm glad you decided to use the olympics as your topic today as I've been in the dark about all the events :)

  1. Jay says:

    I'm so sick of hearing about Phelps, and I don't even own a TV.

  1. TopChamp says:

    It's a very impressive load of medals!

    I have never heard 'waxed' in that context before.

  1. Barb says:

    I confess that I have not been watching much of the Olympics this year. I did watch the women's relay - all I could think of is they are so athletic that they no longer look female. Honestly, I didn't realize they were women until the announcer said so. Yikes.

  1. Jeni says:

    To be honest, I haven't watched any of the Olympics this year. I don't know why -just haven't been all that interested this year, I guess. However, your description of Phelps wins was really interesting to read as I never thought of the individual's meets -qualifying and actual -when considering their athletic prowess. Very interesting post, Trav.

  1. DrillerAA says:

    Great take on the word!!
    My only problem with "Lightning" Bolt is not running through the finish line. Celebrate after the race!

  1. Marsha says:

    Ppsstt....there's CAKE over on my blog!

  1. Ivanhoe says:

    Watched them all and still am in awe :o) What am I going to do when it's over? ... Oh, I'll be in school :o)

  1. Akelamalu says:

    Michael Phelps is doing extraordinarily well isn't he? :)

    Team GB are doing well too, which is unusual! :)

  1. Anonymous says:

    Great, Phelps!
    An inspiration!

  1. Kimmie says:

    The Olympics Rock! I am so enjoying them this year. Michael Phelps is amazing! I am NOT sick of hearing or seeing him in the least. What he has accomplished is HISTORY! That to me is a BIG DEAL!!! :-) Oh and the muscles! Men's that is, I am in muscle heaven...*giggle* I cannot get over the Jamacan runner! He is unbelievable. His legs are as long as some of those runners!!! LOL...well, close. ;-) I just don't see anyone beating him. I was watching how many strides the last runner had to take to this guys one and it was like watching a hamster on a wheel! I will be sad when they are over. Such amazing talent right before our eyes. Thanks Travis for a great post and your take on WAX! :-)

    Hugs,
    Kimmie

  1. that was pretty exciting even for a NON sports person like me! ha ha

    smiles, bee
    xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

  1. Sandee says:

    Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt rock! Have a great day Travis. :)

  1. Imagine what Bolt would have posted if he felt like he was being challenged!

    Phelps is amazing. Period.

  1. We are very similar today my friend...

    Usain ...man if I am his coach I have a little chat with him about his early celebrations...

  1. Travis, I've been watching and rooting for our teams! Did you hear the commercial for Michael Phelps spoken by Morgan Freeman about 2 seconds after Michael won his 8th medal? Incredible! :)

  1. they sure made the old sarge proud.

  1. Meribah says:

    The Americans are really kickin' ass in the Olympics this year. Congrats! :)

  1. Anthony: I think the performance of the Brits in these Olympics bodes well for 2012. Congrats!

    Terra: I watched a Malaysian fella win a silver medal in badminton over the weekend.

    Jay: Sorry about that. He really was spectacular, although there was lots of other good stuff from the pool too.

    TC: Just a bit of American slang.

    WT4W: I think some of that is due to the way the suits fit, and the fact that the men are wearing those full body suits like the women now.

    Jeni: I've always found the Olympics fascinating. And I enjoy learning and re-learning about some of the sports I don't follow as much outside of Olympic years.

    Drilleraa: Agreed!

    Marsha: Wooooo!! I'll be there soon!

    Ivanhoe: Well, you're a sports gal. So we've got the MLB playoffs and World Series coming up, plus the start of both NCAA and NFL football.

    Akelamalu: Yup. And the Brits have done quite well too.

  1. Adam: Indeed!

    Kimmie: It's going to take another special athlete to equal what Phelps accomplished in these games.

    Bee: Wasn't it though?

    Sandee: Indeed!

    Starr: I know! I wish he had run hard through the tape, just to see that time. I'll bet it would have been under 9.6. WOW!

    V: Like Starr said...wonder how he would have done if he felt challenged.

    Teach: I love those Morgan Freeman spots.

    Sarge: He's done us all proud.

    Meri: I'm watching the Canadian equestrians challenge the US for gold in team show jumping right now.

  1. Michael Phelps is amazing. At first I thought it was just all hype-but then it just kept happening! And that one relay when we were like, 5 seconds ahead of everyone else?!?! Crazy.

    As for being sick of Phelps etc-not me. It's not everyday people are rewarded for hard work. I say let's talk about all of them until we can't talk no more. :)

    Happy MM Trav!

  1. Gayle says:

    Don't ya love it when we wax the other guy?! Great post in honor of the Olympians!

  1. j says:

    HAH! How about this... I am ASKING you to correctly credit Sea of Love and Venus!!!!

    I knew Bananarama remade the song but I couldn't find it. But Robert Plant too? Do tell!

    Jen

  1. Anonymous says:

    Wow, simply amazing!

  1. Anonymous says:

    Wow, this is fantastic!! Great 'wax' post.

    Thanks for visiting.

  1. Cool beans. I am not an Olympics watcher myself. I don't have TV, so that makes it hard to watch them! :) I am amazed at the unending capacity for human ability, and Phelps shows that over and over setting record after record. Do you think records will just keep getting broken over and over until one day we just have to think it, and we've won???? ;)

    Amazing stuff.

  1. Marilyn says:

    Not having TV and getting it all filtered through reactions of other people is strange. I wish I could hook up cable just for the Olympics.

  1. I wish I'd seen that 100 meter race. I'm hoping I can catch it on sportscenter or something.

  1. Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

  1. Linda says:

    These athletes are truly amazing and should rightly be proud of their accomplishments. Great job!

  1. Mags: He always seems driven and confident, but not cocky or arrogant. It's refreshing to see humble athletes.

    Gayle: It's certainly better than getting waxed!

    Jennifer: Some 40-50 year old songs just get lost in the shuffle I guess!

    CWM: They sure were!

    Alice: I'll bet the Canadian athletes are already gearing up for the winter games in 2010!

    Clancy: It's hard to imagine that they can go any faster, and yet somehow they do!

    Marilyn: The competition has been wonderful to watch.

    Charles: I'm sure they'll show it many times.

    Songbird: It certainly does.

    Linda: They sure do make me proud.