USA: SWIMMING - As London Olympic games approach, 14-time gold medal winning Michael Phelps says he is in the best shape he's been in for three years

Record ID: 330474

  • Title: USA: SWIMMING - As London Olympic games approach, 14-time gold medal winning Michael Phelps says he is in the best shape he's been in for three years
  • Date: 16th February 2012
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS) PHELPS AND OLYMPIC SKATING CHAMPION APOLO OHNO WALKING ON POOL EDGE PHELPS SWIMMING LAPS IN POOL
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8YYDFRCO9LTLWHEXYWQ3C1WB9
  • Story Text: The clock is starting to tick faster for Michael Phelps. The London Olympics are drawing closer and the American swimmer knows that time is running out on his golden career.
    Still Phelps seems very confident that his training is going well and that he will be in race shape for the Olympics this summer.
    "I'm in a lot better spot now then what I was anytime over the last three years. Physically in better shape. Mentally in better shape, really since Beijing," Phelps told Reuters in New York City recently during a visit to a Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx to promote a youth swimming program he supports.
    Phelps said he is taking his training more seriously now and his conditioning is much better.
    "Now it's just working out all the small things that are going to make the big difference at the end of the day and the six months will be here before you know it."
    In the pressure-cooker world of Olympic swimming, gold medals can be decided by margins as tiny as a fingernail and no-one knows than better than Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after surviving two close-shaves.
    Phelps was a member of the U.S. relay that won the 4x100 metre freestyle final by just 0.08 seconds. A few days later, he won the 100m butterfly final by 0.01.
    Phelps, who also won six gold medals at Athens in 2004, immediately declared his intention to keep going through to London but initially struggled for motivation.
    It was only last year, when he lost his crown as the world's premier swimmer to Ryan Lochte, that he rediscovered the desire.
    "I'm a lot more relaxed then I ever have been. I'm able to enjoy all the moments," said Phelps.
    "I'm just piecing all the memories together and just living it up. It's been an awesome career and a fun career and I'm just going to have fun these next six months and I think that's the best way to do it. I'm going to always smile. I'm going to be having fun and we're going to be ready," added Phelps.
    Phelps remains coy about how many events he will swim in London, saying he will decide the magic number on how well he performs in the lead-up to the U.S. Olympic trials in June and July, but said he was feeling confident about his chances.
    "It all just depends on how my preparation goes and that really just determines on how hard I want to work and for me at the end of the day, at the end of my career I want to be able to say I've done everything that I've wanted to do. And that's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication and it's something I'm ready for."
    Phelps has already ruled out competing in the 400m individual medley, an event he won both at Athens and Beijing, but said the toughest race to win in London could be the 4x100m freestyle relay after the U.S. finished third, behind Australia and France, at last year's world championships in Shanghai.
    "It's going to be tough for the relays. After the summer, after not doing as well as we wanted to in the 400 free relay and the 800 and the 400 medley are becoming a lot closer. So we know as a team what it's going to take and hopefully we'll be able to put the four fastest guys we have up to hopefully win a gold medal," said Phelps.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register