The boy who outswam his hero Phelps
INSPIRED by Michael Phelps, Joseph Schooling delivered his country’s first gold medal.
And, with his victory in the 100m butterfly for Singapore, 21-yearold Schooling also happened to beat the man who had been his pool idol for years.
The pair first met in 2008, when Phelps stopped off in Singapore on his way to the Beijing games, allowing Schooling to shake hands with his hero.
Realising he had pushed Phelps into joint second in Saturday’s race, Schooling was as surprised as anyone that he had beaten the man known as the ‘Baltimore bullet’ and the most decorated Olympian of all time.
After the race, Schooling turned to the American and said: ‘Dude this is crazy, out of this world, I don’t know how to feel right now.’
He later said: ‘Just being beside him, walking alongside him and celebrating, I will cherish that for the rest of my life.’
Although 31-year-old Phelps had admitted he hoped to win every race, he could not help but smile, later telling reporters: ‘I’m not happy, obviously nobody likes to lose, but I’m proud of Joe’. Phelps, who has announced his retirement, said he was leaving the sport having achieved his ultimate goal, which was to inspire young people to believe that ‘the sky is the limit’.
He added: ‘I wanted to change the sport of swimming…With the people we have in the sport now I think you are seeing it.’
In Rio he has picked up five golds and a silver – bringing his total haul to 28, ten more than any other athlete.
Early yesterday, after bringing the US team to victory in the 4x100m medley relay, Phelps admitted: ‘This is the best place I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve been able to do everything I’ve ever put my mind to in the sport and after 24 years… I’m happy with how things finished.’
The 6ft4in swimmer also found time to pose with another US sensation Simone Biles – only 19 and 4ft9in, but already a star gymnast with three gold medals to her name at Rio. Last night she won the women’s vault – becoming the first American woman to win gold in the category. She could win a fourth medal later this week.
While she might be happy to pose with Phelps, she’s not terribly keen on being compared to other athletes, declaring: ‘I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.’
‘Dude, this is out of this world’