In the history of swimming, there is no one who dominated the sport like Michael Phelps. He won 28 Olympic medals and 23 of them were gold. This was more than most of the countries that took part in the Olympics.

Usually, a swimmer takes part in the NCAA competitions before as well. Taking part in college competitions helps swimmers to gain valuable experience. However, Phelps did not take part in the competition.

He decided not to take up his NCAA eligibility and turned pro. From there, he became a legend of the sport, winning many medals in several events.

Michael Phelps did not opt for NCAA swimming

Making his debut at the age of 15 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Phelps became the youngest male swimmer to make the team for the USA in 68 years. The last person to do it was Ralph Flanagan.

He qualified for the finals of the 200-meters butterfly. However, he could not win the event as he finished fifth. After that, with the NCAA eligibility right in his bag, Phelps turned it down and went pro.

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He signed a deal with swimming giants Speedo. This decision meant he couldn’t take part in the NCAA events anymore. While NCAA swimming has great value in the country, it would have been great to see him taking part in the competitions. But, we as fans didn’t have the luck to see a young Phelps beaming in confidence and slaloming his way past his opponents.

Despite not competing in NCAA, he still holds many national age-group records. His participation in the event would have been a great watch, but he had different goals in his mind.

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The legend arrives

Phelps appeared at the 2001 World Championships and this is where he made history. He became the youngest male world record holder in swimming in his signature 200-meters butterfly event, posting a time of 1:54.92 seconds. That was just a remarkable piece of achievement from the talented swimmer. The legacy he created from turning down NCAA to becoming a Pro proved to be a wise decision.

Medals dove into his kitty, and he created ripples across the world. Becoming the symbol for swimming after that, Phelps became a legend of the sport and dominated it for years to come. What a sensational swimmer he was!