The fabled tales of Michael Phelps swimming to glory continue to gather pace even in 2022. Truthfully, there is none like him. The way he elevated himself to the pinnacle of swimming charts is immense. Despite the various biological advantages, some techniques estranged him from the rest. Moreover, he trained hard and used it to perfection. 

Competing at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the splendid Race of the Century, Phelps went against Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband. The Dutch swimmer Pieter captured silver while Phelps ended with a bronze. But, Hoogenband realized how Phelps would become extra special, using a subtle technique that looks easy from the outside but is one of the most formidable to master, the dolphin kick.

The secret to Michael Phelps’ success

The dolphin kick had made him stand out from the rest. The seven-time Dutch Olympic medalist once spoke about standing in amazement at the quality of his underwater technique. It is universal for swimmers to turn using this move while completing a lap. Therefore, Hoogenband expressed his feelings about the perfection of Phelps’ dolphin kick, which resulted in 23 Olympic gold medals. 

“He is such a professional. We were always together in the warm-up pool. We always loved to do a lot of speed, 50 meters, 100 meters, on race speed before [the race]. And when you have a lot of speed, it’s not nice when you’re in the warm-up pool, and people are swimming very, very slow. So we were always together,” said Pieter, who saw the development of his famous Phelps underwater strategy. 

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He continued, “The way he developed his underwater kicking, I was watching in the warm-up pool. I was like, wow, this is something totally different.” Mastering an excellent dolphin kick is essential for swimmers to get maximum advantage in the swimming pool. The number of times he used that technique to step ahead was eye-opening. 

How does a dolphin kick help swimmers?

During the halfway leg of a 4×100-meter freestyle swimming relay, Michael Phelps trailed a swimmer from France. But, tides turned after executing a perfect underwater that saw him resurface after 2.5 seconds. Dolphin kicks help a swimmer take a significant advantage and are faster than swimming on the surface. Swimming on the surface of the water creates a “bow wave,” that reduces the force one generates in water as friction comes into play. 

But, going underwater can avoid this friction, and because of its popularity, a swimmer can only swim for 15 meters underwater while diving into the pool or after taking a turn. Phelps produces less lactic acid and recovers better. Underwater swimming requires one’s respiratory system to work clockwork while pushing the body. Now imagine Phelps doing the underwater, with his enormous wingspan, webbed feet, less lactic acid, and an aerodynamic torso.

WATCH THIS STORY- Michael Phelps’ Long Torso Leaves Fans Shocked As His Image with 4’11 Ft Tall Gymnasts Resurfaces

The ability of Phelps to balance out his biological advantages to his technique is just outstanding. While fans slash him for his physical assets, Phelps quietly went about his business and mastered his craft. What do you guys think?