Michael Phelps continues his great year with yet one more major accolade. There is little doubt that this was going to be awarded to Phelps and he is certainly a deserving recipient. For 2 weeks in China this past August the Olympics were all about Phelps and his quest to become the most decorated Olympian in history. He walked out of those games with 8 golds the most in one Olympics. Even the casual observer couldn’t help but become captivated by the story in the pool. What he managed to do, and in some cases his team was not only compelling but it brought a spotlight to swimming that will now become obsolete for the next 4 years until the next Olympics. It is too bad that this sport only gets recognition every 4 years along with the likes of gymnastics.
Technically he was sportsman of the 2 weeks even though the 4 years of training leading up to the games will no doubt be overlooked.
Technically he was sportsman of the 2 weeks even though the 4 years of training leading up to the games will no doubt be overlooked.
As for Phelps himself, he is a commodity and you can see him everywhere either in ads or just randomly in public. Does he run the risk of being over exposed? Perhaps, but in his role as a swimmer he almost needs to exploit himself and stay in the news for as longs as possible because once the light goes down on his star it will be 4 years before he can hope to get it back. It may not be right but that is just the way things go for amateur athletics (just ask Daniel Igali).
In any event Phelps is the big winner this year and we should all applaud what he was able to accomplish.
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