So really, how good is Michael Phelps?

Question

We all know he is amazing, but what I'm wondering is how he compares to an average male his age. For instance, he swam the 200m freestyle in Beijing at a record time of 1:42.96. How long would it take for the average 23 year old guy? How many times faster is Phelps than the rest of the world?

Answer 1

I find it very funny reading these posts. Let's get a few things straight, shall we:

1. Phelps broke Spitz's record of 7 gold medals in one olympics, not Spitz's freestyle record. That record had been broken at least 35 years ago.

2. Spitz's swim suit and Phelps' swim suit make no difference in this discussion because they both wore what other swimmers wore at the time of their olympics.

OK, so how fast is an average 23 year-old at a 200 meter free? If they are swimmers (not olympic, but swimmers and can complete a 200 with flip-turns) a good estimate would be around 3 minutes as an average. Better swimmers will do it in 2:15, but only really good swimmers can get near or at the 2 minute mark.

Phelps is faster at butterfly than free. 100 meter fly in 50.58 is flying; no pun intended.

It is not so much that Phelps is so much faster than everyone else, it is that he is such an incredible all-around swimmer. He is extremely proficient at all strokes and in many events. Most swimmers arrive at the olympics with one or two events to swim and usually focused on one stroke, but he is great at all of them.

Mark my words, this record of 8 gold medals will stand for a LONG time. I grew up idolizing Mark Spitz, so it was bitter-sweet to see his record broken, but I cannot deny that Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer of all time. That's just my opinion though.

Answer 2

So really good. M P won 8 gold,many in new  WR timing.

He is the single greatest athletic in Olympics by medal count. Some country has less medal than MP personal taking. Awesome..

Answer 3

I'm not sure how long it takes the average 23-year-old to swim the 200m freestyle, but what about the butterfly stroke? I don't think the average 23-year-old male can successfully do the butterfly stroke. Have you ever tried? It is a very difficult, exhausting stroke. I don't think I could do it for 200m.

He's pretty d**n good.

Answer 4

well since spitz record broken from 1972 which was 38 years

so in 2028 i believe the record from phelp will be broken

Answer 5

I think Mark Spitz was better, look how long it took for someone to break his record.

And Spitz swam in regular swimming trunks like anyone at the beach.

The fact that it took this long for someone to beat the conditions Spitz had to face shows just how good and underrated he is.

Phelps is awesome though!

Answer 6

I'm not sure but he must be really good if got the gold over so many other men 8 times!

Answer 7

he's great. i guess..

Answer 8

If he is 100% natural, than he is very good

Answer 9

He won 8 golds so he's good of course.

Answer 10

Not that great. I can't wait till he drops dead.

Answer 11

i said that he is one of the best swimmers in world or this planet had ever seen but there is always someone better and faster then him so we have to wait and found out if his record will be ever beatten