PARIS — The term GOAT is so often tossed around in sports. Not always carelessly, but frequently enough that it’s diminished the original meaning behind the greatest of all time acronym.
But in some instances, GOAT truly applies, and few would disagree that Michael Phelps deserves the label. GOAT swimmer. GOAT Olympian. In my opinion, only Simone Biles rivals him as the GOAT athlete.
So the media and swimming world at large need to stop declaring the latest rockstar swimmer as “the next Michael Phelps.” There will never be another — at least not in the lifetime of anyone reading this.
Five Olympics. An astounding 28 medals, with 23 of them gold. The most decorated Olympian of all time. An unprecedented eight golds in one Olympic Games, and 39 total broken world records.
But the swimming world is too quick to throw that stamp on any swimmer who shows tremendous promise or who dominates an international event, and it’s simply unfair to both Phelps and the swimmers with that moniker attached to them.
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Over the years, especially since Phelps retired following the 2016 Rio Games, many have been deemed “the next Michael Phelps.” At one point, it was American Caeleb Dressel. At the Paris Olympics, it’s France’s Léon Marchand.
“I remember kind of laughing about it,” Dressel, an ambassador for Toyota, told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. “It being an honor that I would even be in the same sentence [as Phelps], but also knowing deep down … that has never been my goal in the sport.”
Dressel, 27, just finished his third Olympic Games and increased his medal count to 10: nine gold, one silver. That’s exceptional. That’s unquestionably superstar level.
However, there’s a huge difference between a superstar and “the next Michael Phelps,” and Dressel agreed, calling Phelps “not even a once-in-a-lifetime” swimmer but “maybe once in a, I don’t know, end-of-the-world type guy.”
With a dominant Paris Games, Marchand — the 22-year-old star who nearly brought down Paris La Défense Arena every time he walked on the pool deck — is the latest swimmer to be deemed “the next Michael Phelps.” Given Marchand’s stunning versatility, it’s easy to see how some made that leap.
After breaking Phelps’ last-standing individual world record in the 400-meter individual medley last summer, Marchand won Olympic gold in the event. He also won gold in the 200 IM, 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke, plus bronze in the men’s medley relay. The latter two individual events, whose finals were on the same night, highlight Marchand’s versatility because it’s quite rare to excel at both butterfly and breaststroke.
Even Phelps on NBC described it as “probably the greatest double I’ve ever seen in the history of the sport.” He’s right; it was remarkable.
But with five medals, four gold, in two Olympics, Marchand is still so far from Phelps’ orbit. Though it certainly helps that the former Arizona State swimmer trains with Phelps’ longtime coach, Bob Bowman, following him around the U.S. to different programs, just like Phelps did.
“[Marchand] can be better,” Bowman said after the 400 IM final. “He’s not reached his potential.”
Phelps: ‘Records are made to be broken’
After Phelps’ second Olympics in 2004, he was 19 years old with eight medals, six gold, and was four years away from his earth-shattering eight Olympic golds in eight races, which broke famed swimmer Mark Spitz’s record seven.
“If there is [another Michael Phelps], I know what the work is that it’s going to take to do that, especially in this day and age where people are just really focusing on one singular event,” Phelps said Monday.
“Everyone thought what I was trying to do was impossible. … Records are made to be broken. The records that I was chasing throughout my career motivated me, so hopefully I can motivate somebody to do the same thing.”
Marchand has indisputable talent and is clearly able to dedicate himself to the ungodly hours of training and endless sacrifices. He’ll be 26 when L.A. 2028 rolls around, and maybe he’ll add even more events to the six he swam in Paris.
That would be incredible, and hopefully Marchand continues dominating. It’d be great for the sport.
But to even have a chance at catching Phelps, Marchand would have to keep grinding for years and avoid injuries. He’d also likely need to remain mentally strong in a sport that can be isolating, especially when you’re at the top and especially after the Olympics.
The world is getting better
At the 2012 London Games, Phelps was far from his best, in a dark place mentally and “hated” swimming. He still won four Olympic golds and two silvers.
And let’s not forget about Phelps’ truly unique physical characteristics that helped make his many records and medals possible. At 6-foot-4, his disproportionate body fueled his hydrodynamics, including his long torso and irregular wingspan. His reportedly double-jointed chest and ankles aided his kick. Perhaps most important for a wild succession of Olympic races, his body supposedly produces half the lactic acid of a typical athlete, an extraordinary assist in recovery.
He’s literally built different and even won a couple races he had no business winning.
As many swimmers, including Phelps, noted this week following an underwhelming performance from Team USA’s men — by American standards — the rest of the world is catching up. The sport is growing and becoming more competitive globally, making another Phelps even less likely.
“The longer I’m in the sport, the more Games I’ve gone to, the more impressive it’s gotten,” Dressel said. “Every single Games, to be on it that well and to be that dominant from 2000 until 2016, I can’t even fathom that.”
He added: “It’s exciting for people to read, but we will never see another Michael … especially with how much more competitive the sport has gotten.”
Marchand could get there, and it would be spectacular if he did. But there’s a reason why Phelps is the actual GOAT, the true best of the best, the all-time most decorated Olympian. What he achieved was more than exceptional; it was almost supernatural.
Those of us who saw it live should be grateful because as unparalleled as it was, it’s just as unlikely we’ll ever see it again. There are and will be plenty of swimming superstars, but there is no next Michael Phelps.
