Michael Phelps to Swim at 42nd Santa Clara International Grand Prix

Michael Phelps is set to make his second appearance at the 42nd Santa Clara International Grand Prix. There will be more than 20 gold medalists at this meet. I'm hoping Michael Phelps makes a comeback. More details here.

Michael Phelps Hits the Bong

Oops. It looks like Michael Phelps is smoking from a bong in this picture. Actually, it's very obvious that he is smoking from a bong in this picture. At least his sponsors are taking his side and supporting him. But I heard that the police chief is going to press charges. But how will they ever prove he was smoking marijuana? Oh yeah. Michael already apologized for this.

8 Gold Medals in the Olympics! Michael Phelps Rocks!

I'm super late posting this picture (after all, it was the 2008 Summer Olympics in China), but I had to post this picture of Michael Phelps and his 8 Olypmic Gold Medals on the cover of Sports Illustrated. How about that?!

Phelps in the run for Sullivan Award

L.A, USA: Michael Phelps, has been named as a finalist for the Sullivan Award, which is presented annually to America's top amateur athlete.

Joining Phelps as finalists are Matt Leinart (football player who won the Heisman Trophy awarded to the outstanding college gridiron star. Leinart led the University of Southern California to the national championship last season.) Elisha Au (karate), Natalie Coughlin (swimming), Paul Hamm (gymnastics), Steven Lopez (taekwondo), Carly Patterson (gymnastics), Cael Sanderson (wrestling), Andre Ward (boxing) and Jeremy Wariner (athletics).

The winner will be announced on April 13 in New York. It will be determined by a vote of Amateur Athletic Union, US Olympic Committee members and college sports information directors.

HOPE PHELPS WINS! :D

UPDATES

Michael Phelps swam in one-man exhibitions when Michigan plays host to Northwestern at 5 p.m. 21st january and Indiana at 1 p.m on 22nd.

Phelps is taking two classes and is a volunteer coach at Michigan University this semester.

Phelps is voted as one of the 25 most powerful people in the aquatics, along with swimmers like Ian Thorpe and Jenny Thompson. An article of his profile in the Top 25 can be found here.

This is an interview done with Phelps- by bob Schaller on 16th February.

Question: What do you do socially that “normal” college students do?
Michael: Really just hang out. Nothing too big. One of the biggest things I’ve found here is that as a team, Michigan is really close, almost like family away from home. It’s a good group to be able to go to every day.

Question: What’s a new interest you will explore at the University of Michigan?
Michael: I’ll say this: It’s the first time I’m really interested about my classes and excited to go to class to learn new stuff. I’m in classes I want to be in, classes that I enjoy.

Question: Are you recognized around campus? What’s that like, and how are people treating you?
Michael: I’m recognized. Actually people recognize me here more than they did in Baltimore, because Ann Arbor is a smaller city, almost a town atmosphere.

Question: I know your mother’s a great cook. How is your food now, and what’s moved to the top of the menu?
Michael: I started learning a lot of things about being on your own. Making my own food obviously involves going to the grocery store. I make a lot of pasta, chicken and steak. There’s a variety there. (President's note: HE COOKS! *swoons*)

Question: What’s the biggest misperception out there about you after your skyrocket ride to fame at the Olympics? People might be surprised you cook so much…
Michael: I’ve told you this before and (laughs) I will tell you again: People know everything about me. There’s nothing else about me people don’t know. About the cooking, listen, sometimes it’s not always good! This is the first time I have had to really cook for myself, things like dinner, so I’m learning – sometimes the hard way – how to do it. I don’t always get it right.

Question: Your coach, Bob Bowman, seems to have undergone a physical transformation, losing 30 pounds. Is he keeping it off? And how have you sensed him changing as a coach since he’s moved to college?
Michael: I have seen him changing. He’s becoming more relaxed. Bob and (former Michigan head coach/Olympic assistant coach) Jon Urbanchek still run every morning. They are always out there after workouts. They were out there today, in drizzling snow – running in the drizzling snow! He’s routine-oriented, so he’s pretty consistent about that.

Question: What do you like best about Ann Arbor so far?
Michael: I like everything. When I first got here, I didn’t like it as much as I do now. But it’s grown on me a lot. One of the biggest things, like I said earlier, is how close everyone is on this team. To me, that is just awesome, something I’ve never experienced before, and I’m really enjoying it.

Question: What do you miss most about Baltimore?
Michael: The Ravens! (NFL team)

Question: What does the USOC Sportsman of the Year mean to you, and did you ever think five, six years ago that you would have this honor?
Michael: I had no idea even last year that I was going to get this, know what I mean? It’s an amazing accomplishment, a tremendous honor. It’s something the best athletes ever have received over the course of time. To be in the running with the greatest athletes in the world is just an amazing honor. It’s among my most prized accomplishments.

Question: You talked earlier last week at a press conference about adding muscle. You’re a long and lean guy. How will you go about adding it – in the weight room, diet, and so on?
Michael: I think just a variety of different things. I have never lifted a single weight (before Michigan). So I think doing different kinds of training will help me.

Question: Steroids are on the front pages and newscasts again this week in baseball. How offended would you be if you found out a competitor, or even teammate, was “juiced” on steroids?
Michael: I would be pretty upset. You know, in swimming, everyone gets tested the same exact way, and we’re all clean. The majority of athletes in our sport haven’t had problems with (steroids), and that’s one of the reason I enjoy swimming so much. But it is disappointing to have sports that are using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs out there.

Question: All the talk concerning your World Championships and swimming year centers on the variety of events. I understand that you can’t or won’t divulge your schedule, but how has adding and subtracting events affected your training schedule? Do you like it better this way?
Michael: Getting back into the water was my first goal. Now that I’m back into the water training fulltime, I’m back on track, and things are starting to heal. I am definitely looking forward to some new events, taking those events very seriously and making some significant time drops. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of shape I’m in (at Worlds), and I’ll take it from there.

Question: Compare and contrast Baltimore’s winters to your first in Ann Arbor?
Michael: (Laughs) Ann Arbor is cold, much colder than Baltimore and more snow. But other than that, it’s not too different. We never see like 1-degree days in Baltimore, though. Still, it’s a variety here, and I’m looking forward to what spring and fall will be like.

Question: What Olympic teammates do you stay in touch with? Do you chat with some of them on the phone or email still?
Michael: I train with Peter Vanderkaay, so I’d have to say that I stay in contact with him the most. I stay in touch with Dan Ketchum. (Tom) Malchow comes by the pool from time to time. I also stay in touch with Erik Vendt, who is just a great person and swimmer and (gymnast/USOC Sportswoman of the Year) Carly Patterson, who has become a good friend.

Question: While you still have a lot in the tank in terms of your swimming career, now that you’ve stepped into a different phase of your life, what’s something you might consider as a career in your post-competitive swimming days?
Michael: I want to do something in sports marketing, or sports management. That’s the department I’m in here at school right now. I’ve worked with the agency representing me, Octagon, for three years now, so hopefully, I joke with my agent (Peter Carlisle) he will have a job opening for me in a few years when I graduate.

Question: In terms of non-swimming preparation, what’s something you might do different for 2008 in Beijing?
Michael: I have no idea. Three years down the road is a long ways to look. Right now I’m going to take it day by day and try to live it up and just get better.

Question: Before Athens, you used to answer the question, “How many golds will you win?” so well with your, “I don’t have a gold, I just want one,” comment. Now, when that question is posed to you about the 2008 Games, what will your answer be now that you have six already?
Michael: My answer is this: Hopefully, I can do better next time than I did this time.

Question: How hard was it to come down off the rush that you experienced in Athens and right after it?
Michael: Being able to have an opportunity like that was a lifetime goal and something I’ve always dreamed of, so it was a dream come true, an experience of a lifetime. But, yes, it was a life-changing experience. But you just go on to the next day, the next challenge and the next part of your life.

Question: What have you learned about yourself this past year?
Michael: I don’t know (pause)… I think it’s the drive that I have. The mental toughness is definitely there for me. But a lot of it has to do with the drive. I have a lot of personal drive. My recovery time is huge, which is another reason I was successful last year.

Question: Are you thinking about 2012 at all? I mean, I know it’s outside of your current short-term and long-term goals, but is it possible?
Michael: Anything is possible. I would love to see New York have the 2012 Games. If I’m still around, still swimming, it would be great to hopefully end my career in the U.S.

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This is Michael Phelps’ quotes from the February 2nd teleconference announcing him as the 2004 United States Olympic Committee SportsMan of the Year.

Question: How are things in Ann Arbor? What’s the college life like up there?

Michael: It’s definitely different being back in class. It’s good. I’m just taking two classes to get back into the swing of things. I had to do my first real college assignment the other day, so hopefully that went well. It’s definitely a new atmosphere, both in the classroom and in the pool. I’m getting used to training with a bunch of new guys, but things are going better than we thought. I had a meet a week ago. Bob and I predicted two seconds slower than I swam, so I guess things are on the right track. I’m just enjoying myself and getting back in the normal routine.

Question: What was the assignment on?

It was a 3-5 minute speech just to sort of get to know everyone in the class. It was “college show and tell” – that’s how the professor put it. We pretty much had to come in and bring something in, explain about it. One of my biggest things I’ve been proud of so far is winning an Olympic gold medal, and that’s what I wanted to come in and talk about.

Question: Did you bring the whole pile of them?

No I just brought one. I only have one. I haven’t seen any of the other ones since the Games. My agent has all of them. He’s keeping an eye on them for me.

Question: What’s your first competition back?

I swam at a meet – Michigan swam Northwestern two weekends ago. I swam a few exhibition races. But I am going to be swimming in a meet the first weekend of March in Texas at the University of Texas. Then, Nationals are going to be first weekend of April. That’s the big thing. That’s the meet we’re gearing up for now.

Question: First year in college is typically an exciting time for most freshmen, but considering your year last year, I would suspect it’s somewhat of a comedown. Can you talk about your motivation and how you’re handling getting excited about going forward?

One of the things I’m actually excited about is going back to school. That’s the first time in my life, really, that I’ve been excited to go to school and to continue that part of my life. This is an opportunity to start the second part of my life, and I’m going to take it.

Question: Obviously this is a tremendous honor, and given your performance in Athens, it would be hard to imagine anyone else who could have gotten it among the men. On the other hand, you had that – I’ll call it an incident – at the end of the year. Did you wonder if you might push yourself out of contention for this type of thing?

With what has happened, it has been a learning experience and a big mistake that I’ve made. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I am extremely honored to win this award. You look at all of the great athletes who could have won, and I’m definitely in a line of some of the greatest athletes in the world. Really being able to have an opportunity to win this award is an honor.

Did your speech include a discussion of your 2008 plans?

It didn’t. It was only 3-5 minutes, so didn’t want to get points deducted by going over. My 2008 plans are, well I’m back in the water right now. I’m pretty much back to 100 percent after being out of the water and having a small set-back with my back. Other than that, things are going really well right now. I swam a 200 IM last week, and I went 1:43.0, which is two-tenths off the American record. My coach, Bob, and I were talking about going 1:45 or 1:46. I hit the wall and saw 1:43, so I think things are going pretty well right now. If I just keep things going, hopefully 2008 will be an even better summer than 2004.

Question: Which medal did you bring in?

I can’t tell you. I can’t read Greek. I saw 200m, so it’s 200 meters. It’s either the butterfly or the IM. They asked me, and I had no idea what it was.

Question: It doesn’t look like Ian Thorpe is going to be swimming this year in the World Championships. It’s sort of a low year for a lot of swimmers. Why did you pretty much get right back into the water and somewhat of a full competition schedule?

One of the things Bob and I like is to be is in a routine. If we’re in a routine, things are good. I think getting back into the routine was something that was important to us. If I’m swimming and I’m going to school, then that’s really all I’m doing. That’s what I want to do. I’m ready to compete again. We had our goal meeting the other day to talk about things I want to accomplish this year, next year and years to come, so there are already goals that are set for the next four years, and we’re starting to work for those.

Question: Can you elaborate on the events you’re planning on swimming at the World Championship Trials in April?

We’re going to start swimming some new events, I’ll say that. We’re going to open up some new doors and see where events take us. One of the things I’m doing as a person is growing and starting to get some more muscle. Hopefully that will give me a little extra power that I didn’t have last summer. Hopefully with that and being able to train up here with Peter Vanderkaay and Klete (Keller), some of those guys who are back in the water, hopefully all of us will be able to do something over the next year or two.

Question: Are we talking sprints here?

I don’t know. The events I’m more than likely going to swim at World Champ Trials are events I have swam before, but we’re trying to take a more serious approach to some of those events. There’s one race that I’m really focused on right now. On the event program, there’s two events from last summer, and that’s it. We’re not planning on doing anything as big as this summer, but it’s enough that things will be challenging and keep me excited.

Question: And how many are on that schedule?

We’re not quite sure. We know of about three or four individuals. We’re still up in the air about a few, but we have a pretty good idea. We’ll just have to see how things keep going and how training goes. I think right now once we go down to Texas and get a good feel for things, after that meet, we’ll be ready to decide.

Michael Phelps' Trial

Michael Phelps has been sentenced to 18 months' probation yesterday after pleading guilty to drunken driving. Phelps was fined $320 and ordered to pay $70 in court costs, must attend a meeting sponsored by "Mothers Against Drunk Driving" and must give speeches to students at three schools by June 1, advising the students about making choices and warning them on the dangers of alcohol.

Judge Lloyd O. Whitehead also ordered Phelps to abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs during his probation. His record will be expunged if he complies with the terms of probation. Phelps must report to a probation supervisor once a month by telephone or as directed by the court.

"I recognise the seriousness of this mistake," Phelps told the judge in a packed courtroom.

"I've learnt from this mistake and will continue learning from this mistake for the rest of my life."

For full article, see HERE!

The Michael Phelps Club Forum!

Hi ALL!
One of our goals in setting up the MPC was to create an interactive environment for all Michael Phelps supporters!

The MPC has hence set up a The Michael Phelps Club Forum!

Do join us NOW at the forum! Link to the site is HERE!

Or you can check out the links section!