A Flying Start: The First World Record of Olympic Legend Michael Phelps
In Swimming World Magazine’s latest edition of World Record Flashback, we take a trip to the Jamail Swim Center on the campus of the University of Texas. There, in early 2001, Michael Phelps set the first world record of his career, accomplishing the feat in the 200-meter butterfly as a 15-year-old prodigy.
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The night was September 19, 2000, and Michael Phelps had just completed his first Olympic Games. Three races in two days, in front of raucous crowds at the Sydney Aquatic Centre, were capped by a fifth-place finish in the 200-meter butterfly by a young teenager who would eventually rule the sport.
The gold medal that evening went to American veteran Tom Malchow, whose performance enabled him to rise a spot from the silver-medal step he occupied on the Atlanta Games podium four years earlier. As for Phelps, his effort left him just .33 shy of a medal and marked the last moment he would compete in any sort of anonymity.
Blessed with a unique combination of physical prowess and mental desire, Phelps was viewed as a future star. He was counted in the can’t-miss category, and in the years ahead, his potential was fulfilled through 28 Olympic medals, more than 30 world records and the reshaping of what was believed possible in the pool.
At his first Games, Phelps’ program was much different than the multi-event schedule that became his norm in international competition. Just one individual event. No relay duty. Overall, less than six minutes of racing. But invaluable experience was gained Down Under, and a flame was lit for the future – long-term and short.
Nearly a quarter century after Phelps made his Olympic debut, his longtime mentor Bob Bowman is known as one of the greatest coaches in history. Bowman has guided multiple athletes to Olympic success, has served as a Team USA head man and has guided a college program (Arizona State) to an NCAA championship. Most recently, he set the blueprint for a four-gold showing by Leon Marchand at the Olympic Games in Paris.
En route to this success, Bowman has frequently dipped into a trunk of tactical tricks, drawing out ways to challenge and motivate his athletes. In Sydney, this approach was on display when Bowman, the morning after the final of the 200 butterfly, pushed Phelps through a workout – really, his first training session on the road to the 2004 Games in Athens.
As Bowman handed Phelps the day’s demands, there was a note scribbled in the corner of the workout sheet. It was short. It was simple. Yet, it was profound in meaning, and suggested a seminal day was brewing.
“Austin, WR.”
A target was set.
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To understand why Bowman had the foresight to hand Phelps such a note in Sydney, it’s critical to first remember that the pair started working together when the pupil was just 11 years old. Bowman fully comprehended the talent with which Phelps was gifted. Second, what Phelps achieved in August and September of 2000 offered a glimpse at not only a generational athlete, but how rapidly the teen had caught up to the finest 200 butterflyers in the world.
At the United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Phelps officially made the transition from age-group sensation to world-class swimmer. On the way to becoming the youngest U.S. male Olympian in the pool in 68 years, he deftly handled the pressure of a meet that has made others crumble. In the final of the 200 fly, with a ticket to Sydney within reach, Phelps was undeterred by a deficit heading into the final lap. Rather, he relied on his ability and chased down Jeff Somensatto by the touch, finishing second to Malchow (1:56.87) with a time of 1:57.48.
“Phelps is awesome,” Malchow said at Trials. “I might have retired a little sooner with someone like that coming up. He didn’t get caught up in the hype, which is a credit to him. He stuck to his gameplan.”
A month later, Phelps was even better on the biggest stage his sport has to offer. Sharing a deck with the likes of Ian Thorpe, Inge de Bruijn and Pieter van den Hoogenband, Phelps posted three consecutive personal-best times in the 200 fly. There was a 1:57.30 during prelims and a 1:57.00 outing in the semifinals. His swim of 1:56.50 in the final was only .33 shy of the 1:56.17 that Aussie Justin Norris managed for the bronze medal.
On the strength of six straight personal bests in demanding environments, and aware that Phelps’ steep improvement curve would be aided by several months of quality training, Bowman felt a little note on a workout page would serve as perfect motivation.
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When Phelps arrived at the University of Texas in late March 2001, his mission for the United States National Championships was multi-pronged. The meet served as the qualifying competition for the summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Of course, Phelps also wanted to meet Bowman’s challenge and set the first world record of his career.
With Malchow coming off his Olympic gold medal and hungry to remain the king of the 200 fly, Phelps had someone to push him – an ideal scenario. Not surprising, Malchow was in command during the early stages of the race. But over the back half, Phelps had too much in reserve and the showdown became known as the coronation of a man who would emerge as the Face of Swimming for more than a decade, and the greatest Olympian of all-time.
Covering the opening 50 meters in 26.47, Phelps faced a .78 deficit to Malchow at the first turn. That margin was reduced to .57 by the midway point of the race and was cut to .44 with a lap remaining. At that point, given Phelps’ closing ability, it seemed likely that the 15-year-old would overhaul Malchow. Indeed, that is how the race unfolded, as Phelps finished in 29.88, compared to the 30.86 of Malchow, and set a world record of 1:54.92. The time was good for the global standard Phelps desired, breaking the 1:55.18 established by Malchow at the 2000 Charlotte UltraSwim.
“I knew something was going to happen off the third wall,” said Phelps, a savant of the sport even at a young age. “I was surprised how close I was to Malchow and that helped me come home. My goal coming into this meet was to break the world record. My goal now is to keep getting faster and faster.”
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At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Phelps captured the first world title of his career, doing so in style. He took the world record to 1:54.58 and led a gold-silver finish with Malchow. In the ensuing years, there would be six more world records by Phelps in the 200 fly, the final one a 1:51.51 effort at the 2009 World Championships.
That first one, however, will always hold a special distinction for the Phelps camp.
“That was the first swim that really meant something,” Phelps said.
