Silver is Not Becoming of Michael Phelps: After His 1st Loss in 4 Years, His Coach Rages Against New Suits
Michael Phelps July 29th. 2009, 10:15am
Forget Favre’s latest retirement, or Vick’s reinstatement, or Lamar Odom, or Tim Tebow’s virginity or Roy Halladay – a buoyancy-enhancing, friction-reducing polyurethane swimsuit is the most controversial sports story right now! After Michael Phelps lost his first race since 2005 to a polyurethane-clad Paul Biedermann of Germany, here’s what Phelps’ coach had to say:
“The sport is in shambles right now. They better do something or they’re going to lose their guy who fills these seats.”
(Begin Steven Seagal voice) Is that a threat or a promise? (End Steven Seagal voice) Phelps, who won eight gold medals in Beijing last summer, conceded that Biedermann was in better shape, but also railed against the suit. “It’s not swimming. I’m looking forward to the day that we’re able to call our sport swimming again.”
Phelps beaten, record broken by Biedermann in 200-free (USA Today)
34 Responses to “Silver is Not Becoming of Michael Phelps: After His 1st Loss in 4 Years, His Coach Rages Against New Suits”
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July 29th, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Biedermann said the suit had a lot to do with it as well. And the suits have been banned starting next year. Or next May, something like that.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Hmm, didn’t see Phelps complaining last year when he was breaking records with the LZR Racer (before Arena had released Biedermann’s suit).
July 29th, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Could we be seeing Phelps in Coney Island next 4th of July. You best watch yourself chestnut!
July 29th, 2009 at 10:28 AM
This is slightly hypocritical, no? Phelps was wearing a new suit that made him go faster and break several world records at the Olympics and now he is bitching because his suit isn’t the fastest.
No one cares about world championship swimming anyway, it’s all about the Olympics and after Phelps is done no one will care about swimming in general.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Casey Ryback is a bad man
July 29th, 2009 at 10:30 AM
that would be epic yysa
July 29th, 2009 at 10:31 AM
fail.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:31 AM
I didnt know Spencer was his coach. I should have known though with all the weed and all.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:35 AM
a casey ryback reference
+1
July 29th, 2009 at 10:38 AM
/fixed
July 29th, 2009 at 10:39 AM
What event was it? If it was a sprint (50 or 100) I could see him losing any of those races at any time. Look at his finish in the 100 Fly in the Olympics, hardly dominating. He isn’t entirely unbeatable.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Under Siege was his best flick imo. Loved it when the blonde jumped out of the cake
July 29th, 2009 at 10:44 AM
can we get a post about a sport next?
July 29th, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Erika Eleniak was a goddess.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:48 AM
200 free.
Tell you one thing, tho – Usain wouldn’t blame Asafa’s kicks if he lost to him in a race. Mostly because Bolt’s not a fraud.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:50 AM
1. There’s no such thing as super track shoes like there are for swimsuits.
2. Asafa Powell would never ever win a major race
July 29th, 2009 at 10:51 AM
200 free is a little different. That may have been the suit. Phelps knows he isn’t training nearly as hard now as he was before the last Olympics though. He is making excuses.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Phelps barely trained over the last year, and still swam his best time. However, railing against the suit is pretty pathetic. Not as if Phelps swims in the old paper-suit style suit.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:51 AM
I always got her and Kristy Swanson confused.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:51 AM
he didnt even swim in the sports biggest event in the olympics. its like tiger winning the canadian and buick but not playing in the masters. fraud, indeed.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:54 AM
maybe if he spent less time complaining and more time training he wouldn’t have lost, hm?
July 29th, 2009 at 10:54 AM
can we get a post about a sport next?
63 days until training camps start. not too far away Duder
July 29th, 2009 at 11:06 AM
I swam for 10 years and I really don’t know which is swimmings “biggest event.”
July 29th, 2009 at 11:10 AM
the Olympics. no question. You can be the world record holder in the event, and any one of them will tell you that they would rather have a gold medal at the olympics.
July 29th, 2009 at 11:14 AM
I think he means race. 1500 free baby!
July 29th, 2009 at 11:18 AM
oh, oops. i have no idea. it is whatever event that has the very best in it that year. 200 Free was it back in Athens. Some years it is the 50, like when Gary Hall and Popov were in it together. but never is it the 1500.
July 29th, 2009 at 11:20 AM
This Rome World Championship stuff harldy matters in the grand scheme of the sport. Phelps will be fine. Once the ban of these supersuits comes into effect, the world’s best swimmers will come to the forefront.
July 29th, 2009 at 11:22 AM
I would love to race the 1500 free, even though I’d pass out at about the 800 meter mark
July 29th, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Fetch- i am always impressed by true distance guys. In high school, the longest even was the 500 yard free, and that seemed too long.
July 29th, 2009 at 12:09 PM
thats because everyone was wearing that suit. If you weren’t it was by choice. The playing field was level at the Olympics. Because of Phelps contract with Speedo he wasn’t allowed to wear Biedermann’s suit. Just to show you how unfair it is, Swimming is banning Biederman’s suit starting next year.
Phelps has a point (but he also hasn’t been training as hard), but Bob Bowman should shut the hell up. What a dick.
July 29th, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Full quote “”The headlines are always who’s wearing what suit,” Phelps said. “It’s not swimming. I’m looking forward to the day that we’re able to call our sport swimming again.”"
He was not “railing against the suit” he was railing against this constant coverage of who is wearing what suit.
Also if you read the articles and the ones linked from it you would see Phelps basically said Biedermann was faster and in better shape and that he beat him, not the suit. He then said he had to fix his training. What would you have wanted him to say?
July 29th, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Who gives a SH&%???? Its swimming! I like the Casey Ryback bit though! -”I’m just a cook”
July 29th, 2009 at 12:43 PM
I prefer Under Siege 2. “Nobody beats me in the kitchen.”
July 29th, 2009 at 3:08 PM
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