 The Unrivalled Achievements of Michael Phelps on His B’day.webp)
Throughout his illustrious career, Phelps won numerous medals and simultaneously forged many world records
Michael Phelps, born on June 30, 1985, has had one of the most extraordinary careers in sports history. Beginning his swimming journey at seven, Phelps quickly rose to prominence and became the most decorated Olympian of all time. Following his retirement post-Rio Olympics in 2016, Phelps made a surprising comeback in 2020 to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, which were rescheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Phelps eventually retired after the Tokyo Olympics. As he celebrates his 39th birthday today, let us look at his records, which are yet to be broken.
Phelps won numerous medals and forged many world records throughout his illustrious career. In fact, once upon time, he held 39 world records but over the years, those records have been shattered. Currently, Phelps holds four world records only – these include the 400m individual medley, the 4 x 100m freestyle relay at the Olympics, and another set of world records in the 4 x 100m medley relay and 4 x 200m freestyle relay at the World Championships.
Credit: The Denver Post
Michael Phelps in a local tournament
The G.O.A.T. Olympian set his first world record in 2001 at the United States Spring Nationals, swimming the 200m butterfly event in 1:54.92. This mark marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey in competitive swimming.
Phelps set his current world record in the 400m individual medley at the 2008 Olympics, winning the gold medal at 4:03.84. This swim broke his world record, which he had established at the 2007 World Championships in the same event. Phelps completed the race at those championships with a then-world record time of 4:06.22.
In another incredible performance at the 2008 Olympics, Phelps and his relay team shattered the world record in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, finishing with a time of 3:08.24, marking Phelps' second world record of the games.
Michael Phelps with his gold medal
During the 2009 World Championships, Phelps, alongside his teammates, set a new world record in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay by clocking 6:58.55. This broke the previous world record they had established at the Olympics the year before.
At the 2009 World Championships, Phelps and his relay team etched their names into history by setting a new world record in the 4 x 100m medley relay, clocking an impressive three minutes and 27.28 seconds. Phelps, renowned for his mastery in butterfly stroke events, also made headlines at the championships by establishing world records in the 100m and 200m butterfly disciplines. His remarkable performances saw him triumph in these events with record times of 49.82 seconds and 1 minute 51.51 seconds, respectively.
Phelps' dominance in the 200m butterfly event was unparalleled, highlighted by his ability to break his world record multiple times. At the 2009 Championships, he surpassed his previous record set during the 2008 Olympics, clocking an astonishing time of one minute 51.51 seconds. This achievement added to his illustrious career, during which he held eight world records in the 200m butterfly event alone.
Michael Phelps bidding farewell at the 2016 Olympics
Phelps' 100m world record was surpassed by Caeleb Dressel during the 2019 World Championships, with Dressel setting a new mark of 49.50 seconds. Similarly, Phelps' 200m world record was eclipsed by Hungarian swimmer Kristof Milak, who achieved a new record time of 1 minute 50.73 seconds while claiming gold.
