It was the year 2004. Michael Phelps was competing at the Summer Olympic games in Athens and looking for his first medal on the sport’s biggest stage. Boasting immense potential, he won his first Olympic gold medal in the 400m individual medley. Moreover, he did it in style, creating the then-world record of 4:08.26. Subsequently, he has added 27 more Olympic medals to take his tally to 28.

Due to his exploits in the swimming pool, Phelps has gone on to become a global sporting superstar. Many fellow athletes and sporting legends have lauded him. Recently, he received words of praise from an upcoming Marvel superstar.

Black Panther 2’s Tenoch Huerta lauds Michael Phelps

During an interview, Huerta recalled an incident when his agents told him he would play Namor the Sub-Mariner in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

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Talking about this, he said, “The director asked me, ‘Do you know how to swim?’ And I was like, ‘I’ve never drowned before!’ “Then the producer asked me. I said, ‘I’ve never drowned before.’ Then my team asked me. I said, ‘I’ve never drowned before.’ And they said, ‘No, seriously, do you know how to swim?'”

Further, he praised Phelps for his illustrious swimming career, saying, “I’m not Michael Phelps. That guy is a real superhero — he’s an actual mutant. But we did a lot of free diving, since we shoot underwater, and I learned to hold my breath for up to five minutes. Now when I’m down there, holding my breath in the middle of the water, it is so peaceful. It’s like meditation.”

Phelps talks about Naomi Osaka’s mental health battle

Recently, the American legend praised Osaka for opening up about her mental health challenges. He felt that despite not being the easiest thing to do, Osaka shared her struggles in her own words.

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Last year at the French Open, Osaka withdrew before her second-round match owing to her mental health struggles. Subsequently, she received the backing of her fellow players and athletes all across the globe.