B.McMaster wrote:
Or did we have a big enough lead so he "coasted in"
No, he was dying. Both of them were. It was plain to see on the TV, stroke was shortening up quite a bit. The press conference afterwards he even talked about the piano on his back in the last 50.
http://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/103/466/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=./transcripts/9074.html
Q. Could you describe that last 50? MICHAEL PHELPS: Awful! All you gotta say. No, it's -- honestly, I said to Bob, I said I wanted to be a 1:22 at the 150, and I was. I haven't felt great in the water but, you know, it's -- this is -- like I said, I'm checking a box off, being able to get on the team. We have a little over thirty days to prepare ourselves for the next time that we race, and Bob and I have talked about some things that we probably can change between now and then and just move forward.
By no means am I happy about going a 1:54, but I'm happy to have the opportunity to represent my country at the Olympic Games.
Q. Your relationship with this event, the 200 Fly, everybody talks about it was your first Olympic event in 2000, but not only there. When you came back in 2014 you said, "I don't think I can do this one anymore." Can you just expand on the significance of you making the fifth Olympic Team in this event in the last couple of years? MICHAEL PHELPS: Like you said, this was the first event I made the Olympics in 2000, and we've had some good races and not so good races in this event in our Olympics history. In 2014 we weren't really sure what really was going on so, you know, this being a little slower than what I went last summer, pretty much a 150 was pretty much there, and then I don't know what happened the last 50. I was just praying to hit the wall first or second.
BOB BOWMAN: It wasn't 50, it was like the last 20.
MICHAEL PHELPS: The piano felt pretty hard, and this is an event that Bob and I have worked on for so many years. Bob has worked on for maybe 16 years, and I've maybe worked hard --
BOB BOWMAN: Eight.
MICHAEL PHELPS: Eight to 10. Being able to have this event, this is an event my sister swam as well, so it's something that's very special to the family and, you know, just looking forward to hopefully swimming faster than what I swam here.
Swimming Workout of the Day: Favourite Swim Sets: 2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly