i'll reply! Props to the dinosaur!

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

what's the background story behind the gold in 2000 and gold now? Won gold and then got burned out and left sport? Did he have some life changing moment to bring him back?

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Its amazing, but for those that thinks phelps is an arsehole for his two dui's, and there have been no shortage of them on here. Ervin makes phelps look like a choir boy in his autobiography.

I think both are amazing.

Amazing race! Can't believe he pulled it off.

And right after Maya Dirado also came thru with a remarkable win.

And Katie just demolishing the field, and her own WR.

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float , hammer , and jog

I come from a running background so I understand the difference between me in 2000 and me in 2016 on the track. All kinds of reasons for my performance declines.

Question for you fish: since swimming (presumably) doesn't put the same beating on your body, is this equivalent to a 200m running champ coming back after that kind of layoff? As I've gotten older, I've definitely lost top-end speed, but I also can't put in the training to keep that speed if I wanted to. Is this type of comeback easier or harder in the pool as compared to running?

No I wasn't referring to performances, I was more asking why did he leave the sport? They said he was USA teammate of Phelps in 2000 and obviously Phelps kept going and then Ervin quit/retired?

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

He talks about it in his book, which I meant to buy but then my ADD took over and so I never read.

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I really don't want to tarnish the thread but nobody is a choir boy and if somebody is then I guarantee that person is not without flaws either. But the short of it was he got burned out and got into some bad things. Became a journeyman, became wiser, turned his life around, wanted to help kids, got back into the water, and found purpose, inspiration, and calm again. I think he's found fulfillment in his life and I stand up and applaud him for it.

The Rich Roll Podcast #237 has a really good interview with him where he talks about his life in some detail. Interesting man.
Very happy for him!

I was cheering for him and I am from a rival country.

My wife was asleep last night during the race. I told her this morning, and her comment..

"Is he the hot 35 year old?"

Yes he is dear.

I'm tired of women always objectifying us men! Why can't we be recognized for our achievements!

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Hey lady!! My EYES are UP HERE. ;-)

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float , hammer , and jog

My wife upon viewing the press conference photos after the 50: "that's a whole lotta handsome". I was personally offended.

Absolutely astounding. Watching his prelim swims, all he had to do was nail his start and finish, both abysmal in the two lead up swims. He out swam everyone, but those two things make all the difference. Apparently he watched a lot of video and fixed the problems, and continued this magic US team meet.

Dude is really chill in his interviews too, seems to be on some other plane of existence. I will have to get his book, sounds like a great turnaround story, and now with the happy ending!!

Bet we see him in Japan in 4 years too!!!

I read the book when it came out and it really wound me up

I'd certainly recommend reading it and i think he's an amazing athlete but he made some seriously f##king stupid decisions that make tiger woods appear a saint (i dont think woods ever risked anyone else's life)

I finished the book and just thought he came off as a d##k and i'm not even sure i can articulate why when he has seemed very personable in the interviews i've seen him give

I think it is easier to match a 50 freestyle time than it is to match a 200 meter run time. The 200 meter run requires more explosive ability.

1.) Ervin was still last off the blocks
2.) Ervin wouldn't win a gold in a SCM 50 meter freestyle -- the turn requires more athleticism.

I'd be willing to bet his night ended with one.

1.) Ervin was still last off the blocks
2.) Ervin wouldn't win a gold in a SCM 50 meter freestyle -- the turn requires more athleticism.


1). Which means he is the fastest swimmer in the pool, and has the greatest break out, or both. First to the wall, kind of the point of the whole race.


2). No one cares about the SCM gold, about a 1000th the value of LCM at the games.

You have a very smart wife!

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

It's pretty random but in 2006 Ervin was in Sweden and was convinced by someone to swim the 4*50m freestyle for a team at Swedish nationals. I was there spectating and seeing him at that time there was no way you could ever imagine the guy had been an olympic and world champion a few years earlier at the 50m freestyle. He was extremely skinny with no muscle mass and generally looking very rough. In fact it looked like he had never done a workout his whole life.. Of course he still swam faster than anyone here but if someone had told me he'd win an olympic gold 10 years later I'd have asked where his medication was. Very cool to se him win and surprised this hasn't been covered more. So far the most remarkable story of the olympics to me.

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BA coaching http://www.bjornandersson.se

I suspect that he went through so much fracked up sheet in his wilderness years that he watches his life from a distance now. "You watch yourself from sidelines like life was a game you don't mind playing, just to keep yourself amused."

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I just finished the first 50 pages of Ervin's book and not sure I'll bother with the rest of it. I'm already getting the impression that he has no clue about how lucky he is to have the talent that he has. His co-author has already compared him to Andre' Agassi, the tennis champ who wrote a memoir mainly complaining about how much his father made him practice, and what a "hard life" he had while winning Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and marrying first Brooke Shields, then Steffi Graf. Well, sheet guys, think about the other 10s of 1000s of guys who would have LOVED to trade places with you, who would have loved to have had enough talent that anyone gave a flying fark whether we practised or not. Guys like Ervin and Agassi just rub me entirely the wrong way.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

It annoyed me as well but I felt I should finish it

Here really thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. The books pretentious but he does not seem that way in interviews

I prob will at least read most of it, mainly just to hear about the stupid sheet he did that you alluded to in your previous post. I can't recall ever hearing an interview with him, but then I rarely listen to podcasts or similar.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."