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TOPSHOT – USA’s Michael Phelps competes in a Men’s 200m Individual Medley heat during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 10, 2016. / AFP / François-Xavier MARIT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT/AFP via Getty Images)
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TOPSHOT – USA’s Michael Phelps competes in a Men’s 200m Individual Medley heat during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 10, 2016. / AFP / François-Xavier MARIT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT/AFP via Getty Images)
Michael Phelps is one of the most decorated swimming legends of all time. In his career, the 36-year-old American earned a grand total of 23 Olympic gold medals. With his unparalleled success at the Games, he sits at the top for most medals won by a single athlete.
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With this, he holds the record for having the most claimed Olympic golds across all games. His success in the pool earned him the nickname, “Flying Fish”.
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 09: Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates winning gold in the Men’s 200m Butterfly Final on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 9, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Phelps was the first Olympic swimmer to earn a spot on five Olympic teams. Not only this, but he is also the oldest individual swimmer to earn Olympic gold. Displaying his excellent skills, the American made and broke several records.
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How was this possible? Did Phelps have a physique advantage?
Michael Phelps’s legs and torso are a plus point
In general, swimmers tend to have longer torsos and shorter legs than a normal person. But Michael Phelps had a tremendous advantage.
With a height of 6 feet and 4 inches, he has a torso of a male who is 6 feet and 8 inches tall and has legs that are 8 inches shorter.
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18 Sep 2000: Michael Phelps of the USA in action during the Men’s 200m Butterfly Heats at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre on Day Three of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Mandatory Credit: Ross Kinnaird /Allsport
Basically, his disproportionately big chest enables him to push and cut himself through the water. Furthermore, it implies that his legs produce less water resistance with every stroke that follows.
Michael Phelps’ wingspan longer than his height
The wingspan is the length between the swimmer’s fingertips on opposing arms when spread to the sides. An ordinary person’s wingspan is roughly the same as their height, but Phelps’ wingspan is 3 inches greater than his height (6 feet 7 inches being his wingspan and 6 feet 4 inches, is his height, as per The Telegraph.)
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Therefore, having a longer wingspan implies that your arms can reach farther and cut through more water, easily. Indeed, when the competition is cut-throat, even the minutest of such details bring about the biggest difference between all competitors. Reaching the finishing line faster than the rest is a matter of milliseconds. Hence, having such an advantage definitely makes Michael Phelps as a man ‘suited to swim’.
