After historic 7 swim golds, Dressel to wrestle with math test

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Caeleb Dressel won a historic seventh gold medal in Budapest on Sunday as the USA claimed the men’s 4x100m medley relay title at the world championships — before admitting his math test worries.

After Dressel swam the third leg, Nathan Adrian touched the wall first for the USA at three minutes, 27.91 seconds with Britain taking silver at 1.04, while Russia earned bronze at 1.45.

The 20-year-old Dressel has now matched US swimming legend Michael Phelps’ record of seven gold medals from a single worlds set at the 2007 championships in Melbourne.

“I don’t know, I’ve never had it happen so I don’t really know what to say,” said Dressel when asked how it felt to be level with Phelps.

“I’m just happy to be done.

“I’m going to take a little break, see some of my teammates in Europe, Poland, Scotland.

“The atmosphere here has been an absolute blast, I just want to enjoy myself now.”

Dressel’s seven golds included three individual titles in the 50m, 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly, plus relay golds in the 4x100m freestyle, 4x100m mixed freestyle, 4x100m mixed medley and Sunday’s 4x100m medley.

He became the first swimmer to claim three world golds in one session on Saturday by winning the 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly and mixed 4x100m freestyle titles in a jaw-dropping 98-minute spell.

Dressel’s stunning display has earned comparisons with both Phelps and Mark Spitz, who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

His performances have been the icing on the cake for the USA, who finished with 38 swimming medals in Budapest — over five times more than nearest rivals Britain, who managed seven.

Dressel said he was tired after a draining 48 hours.

“I’m very happy to be done, pretty tired,” he said.

“Its been a good season, a good year, there are a lot more that goes into this than what people see in seven days.

“It’s great, I guess it was all going into here.

“I knew I had a chance in a few events and, of course, the real prize for America are the relays which are also a lot of fun.

“We didn’t do so great at the 2015 champs, so to come here and, coming off Rio, do so well — the medal table speaks for itself.”

His achievements unsurprisingly earned the University of Florida ace the award for the best male swimmer at the championships.

However, before he goes off on holiday, Dressel must sit a math test on Tuesday.

“Probably not, it’s probably going to go pretty bad,” he replied when asked if was ready for the test.

“I will probably be happy with a B-minus, that is the next goal when the meet’s over, to get over that math test.

“I’ve had a decent semester with it, it’s been all online and I am not good on online.”

Nevertheless, his exploits in Budapest have been hailed by his team-mates.

“It’s incredible, watching Caeleb is the coolest thing for me — that kid is unbelievable, how he motivates himself, watching how he keeps his composure,” said America’s Chase Kalisz, who won the 200m and 400m IM golds in Budapest.

“I’m watching how he steps on the blocks. Every single race, he is ready to race, he is ready to go.

“This is how Team USA functions, we all feed off each other’s energy.” CBB

source: sports.inquirer.net

We’ll never see another Phelps, says coach

Michael Phelps is said to have surpassed the deeds of Leonidas of Rhodes at the ancient Olympics and the American’s coach believes we will never see his likes again.

“Absolutely not, I’m not even looking,” Bob Bowman said after Saturday’s final swimming races which left Phelps with 23 Olympic gold medals.

“He’s too special. It’s not even once in a generation—it may be once in 10 generations that someone like Michael comes along.

“He just had so many things going for him: he had the physical skills, the mental outlook, the family that supported swimming. He has an emotional ability to get up for big races and actually perform better under pressure.”

Phelps bowed out with his fifth gold of the Rio Games in his fifth and final Olympics after powering the United States to victory in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.

“I don’t think you’re going to see another Michael,” added Bowman. “But you’re going to be seeing a lot of other wonderful people. You’re going to be seeing Katie Ledeckys and Ryan Murphys, and hopefully I’ll find some of those.”

Phelps, watched by fiancée Nicole and baby son Boomer, ended his career with no regrets after flirting with retirement coming away from the London Games four years ago.

“It definitely was a lot more emotional than I was in 2012,” said the 31-year-old.

“I think that’s a good thing. Being able to look back at my career and say we’ve been able to accomplish everything we wanted. I couldn’t be happier with how things ended.”

Phelps declined to reveal where he kept all his Olympic medals but said he might let Boomer take a medal to school one day to show his buddies.

“I might let him take one for ‘show and tell’,” he laughed.

“I’m sure he’ll eventually take them over when I pass but that’s a long time.

“I’d probably give him one to take to show and tell—I might have to go with him and take every step with him when he goes and shows it.”

Phelps added: “The other night when I was on Face Time, I was kind of moving the medal around and his eyes just locked on it. He’s already eyeing them.”/rga

source: sports.inquirer.net

Olympics: True bromance as Phelps and Lochte eye Rio finale

RIO DE JANEIRO—The curtain comes down on one of swimming’s great rivalries on Thursday when Olympic giants Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte lock horns one last time.

Phelps will look to win the men’s 200m individual medley for an incredible fourth successive Games while Lochte, so often the bridesmaid, finally tries to get one over on his fellow American.

After the formalities of Wednesday’s semi-finals, both swimmers indulged in some sweet-talk before their last dance in Rio.

“The history [he] and I have had with one another it’s something special,” said Phelps, who won his record 20th and 21st Olympic gold medals on Tuesday.

“We’ve been racing for the last 12 years and having one more battle tomorrow will be fun,” he added after qualifying quickest for the final in a time of one minute, 55.78 seconds.

“Ryan and I have grown closer as friends this year — so we’ll have one more time to hop in the pool and duke it out.”

Phelps has caught fire in his fifth and final Olympics, winning gold medals in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays and the 200m fly, and Lochte is under no illusions about the size of the task he faces.

“It’s going to take a perfect performance in order to beat him because of how tough a competitor he is,” said world record holder Lochte, who has taken two silvers and a bronze behind Phelps in Athens, Beijing and London.

“He won’t give up and that’s awesome. That’s why he brings out the best in me.

“Any chance I can get up and race Michael, that’s the best,” gushed Lochte, second fastest in the semi-finals half a second behind Phelps. “We’ve been racing since 2004. He’s the toughest competitor I’ve ever gone up against.

“When we go up on the blocks, we’re always trying to win — that’s just the competitive instinct we have,” he added. “But win or lose we’re still good friends.”

Brazilian Thiago Pereira qualified third quickest in front of his home fans in 1:57.11 but the real danger is likely to come from Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, who won the 400m medley in Rio and has plans to gatecrash the American party.

“Tomorrow I just have to swim my own race and leave everything out there,” the 21-year-old Japanese told AFP after winning his heat in 1:57.38.

“I really don’t care about Phelps or Lochte. They’re heroes of mine, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to front up.

“Precisely because they are heroes of mine, I want to give them my best shot, give it everything I’ve got.”/RGA

source: sports.inquirer.net

Michael Phelps's Last Olympics Will Be 'Emotional,' Says Mom

When all's said and done next month, Michael Phelps might be the most-decorated athlete in Olympic history.

But no matter the outcome, saying goodbye to the pool won't be easy for the retiring Olympic athlete – nor his family.









"It'll be a big moment," his mom Debbie, 61, a middle school principal outside Baltimore, Md., recently told PEOPLE. "I'll pull out my box of [tissues], because it's going to be emotional."

Recently Phelps confirmed that this would be his fourth and final Olympic Games.

After qualifying for eight events in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, he's opted to swim seven: the 200 and 400 individual medley, the 100 and 200 butterfly, and all three relays.

"It's so much smarter for me to do that," Phelps told the Associated Press July 2 after scratching on the 200-meter freestyle. "We're not trying to recreate what happened in Beijing. It just makes more sense."

What happened in Beijing, of course, was magic – Phelps made history by winning eight medals, the most of any athlete in a single Olympic Games, besting American swimmer Mark Spitz's record seven in 1972.

Phelps at 27

So what can fans of the most exciting swimmer in U.S. Olympic history expect this time around?

"Maturity," says Debbie of her son, who turned 27 during trials. "He's an old man now!"

He's also grown up a lot.

After his record-making turn in 2008, the young swimmer's life transformed, and for a while, Phelps was making headlines more often for partying than his performance in the pool. But the mistakes helped him grow.

"Michael's always been a role model," says Debbie, who was recently in New York City speaking on behalf of The Century Council to promote Ask, Listen, Learn, an alcohol education program geared towards middle school-aged kids and their parents.

"I've heard Michael talk about his successes, and when he fell on his face," she says. "We all go through life lessons; it's about how you embrace them and go from there."

Difficult for Mom

For Debbie – who, with her two older daughters Hilary, 34, and Whitney, 32, has become famous for tearfully cheering on her son from the bleachers at the Games – watching Phelps step down from the podium that final time will be especially hard.

Starting when Whitney was 7, the single mom was shuttling her kids to and from twice-a-day practices, sacrificing holidays and vacations so they could pursue their Olympic dreams.

"It's not just the end of Michael swimming, but the end of a 25-year era that the Phelps family has been involved with," Hilary tells PEOPLE. "And it's culminating with Michael essentially being the greatest Olympian of all time – so there's a nice bow on it!"

"It's just about capturing memories. This whole year has been about that," adds Debbie. "All these lasts are bundling up."

source: people.com