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    • The comparison between Michael Phelps and Leon Marchand is simply not fair
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    The comparison between Michael Phelps and Leon Marchand is simply not fair

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    Opinion: Marchand is the latest swimmer to be considered “the next Michael Phelps.” There will never be another like the GOAT.

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    PARIS — The term GOAT is used so often in sports. Not always thoughtlessly, but often enough that the original meaning of the greatest acronym of all time is overshadowed.

    But in some cases GOAT really does apply, and few would argue that Michael Phelps deserves that title. GOAT swimmer. GOAT Olympian. In my opinion, he’s rivaled only by Simone Biles as a GOAT athlete.

    So the media and the swimming world in general need to stop proclaiming the newest rock star swimmer as the “next Michael Phelps.” There will never be another one like him – at least not in the lifetime of those reading this.

    Five Olympic Games. An incredible 28 medals, including 23 gold medals. The most decorated Olympian of all time. An unprecedented eight gold medals at one Olympic Games and a total of 39 broken world records.

    But the swimming world is too quick to put that label on any swimmer who shows tremendous potential or dominates an international event, and that’s simply unfair to both Phelps and the swimmers who bear that nickname.

    Over the years, especially since Phelps retired after the 2016 Rio Olympics, many have been called “the next Michael Phelps.” At one point it was American Caeleb Dressel. At the Paris Olympics it is Frenchman Léon Marchand.

    “I remember laughing about it,” Dressel, a Toyota ambassador, told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. “It was an honor to even be mentioned in the same sentence (with Phelps), but deep down I also knew … that was never my goal in the sport.”

    Dressel, 27, has just finished his third Olympic Games and increased his medal count to 10: nine gold and one silver. That is extraordinary. That is undoubtedly superstar level.

    However, there is a huge difference between a superstar and “the next Michael Phelps,” and Dressel agreed, calling Phelps “not even a one-off” swimmer, but “maybe a, I don’t know, once-in-a-lifetime doomsday type.”

    Marchand – the 22-year-old star who nearly brought down Paris’ La Défense arena every time he stepped onto the poolside – has dominated the Paris Games and is the latest swimmer to be dubbed “the next Michael Phelps.” Given Marchand’s amazing versatility, it’s easy to see why some have made the leap.

    After breaking Phelps’ last individual world record in the 400-meter individual medley last summer, Marchand won Olympic gold in that event. He also won gold in the 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter breaststroke, as well as bronze in the men’s medley relay. The latter two individual events, the finals of which took place on the same night, underscore Marchand’s versatility, as it’s quite rare to excel in both the butterfly and breaststroke.

    Even Phelps on NBC described it as “probably the greatest doubles I’ve ever seen in the history of sports.” He’s right, it was remarkable.

    But with five medals, including four gold, in two Olympics, Marchand is still far from Phelps’ sphere of influence. Although it certainly helps that the former Arizona State swimmer trains with Phelps’ longtime coach Bob Bowman and, like Phelps, follows him around the U.S. to various programs.

    “(Marchand) can be better,” Bowman said after the 400m individual medley final. “He hasn’t reached his full potential yet.”

    Phelps: “Records are there to be broken”

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    Michael Phelps disappointed with US men’s swimming results at the Olympics

    The 28-time Olympic medalist said he was impressed with Bobby Finke’s swimming performance, but overall there is still room for improvement.

    At Phelps’ second Olympic Games in 2004, he was 19 years old and had eight medals, including six gold, under his belt. And he was still four years away from his world-shattering eight Olympic gold medals in eight races, surpassing the famous swimmer Mark Spitz’s record of seven.

    “If there is (a second Michael Phelps), I know how much work it takes, especially in this day and age when people are only focused on one event,” Phelps said Monday.

    “Everyone thought what I was trying to do was impossible. … Records are there to be broken. The records I chased throughout my career motivated me, so hopefully I can motivate someone to do the same.”

    Marchand has undeniable talent and is clearly capable of dedicating himself to the countless hours of training and endless sacrifices. He will be 26 when LA 2028 rolls around and perhaps he will add more to the six events he swam in Paris.

    That would be incredible and hopefully Marchand continues to dominate. It would be great for the sport.

    But to have any chance of catching Phelps, Marchand would have to work hard for years and avoid injuries. He would also likely have to stay mentally strong in a sport that can be lonely, especially when you’re at the top and especially after the Olympics.

    The world is getting better

    At the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps was far from his best, mentally in a dark phase and “hated” swimming. He still won four Olympic gold medals and two silver medals.

    And let’s not forget Phelps’ truly unique physical attributes that enabled him to set his many records and win medals. At 6’4″, his disproportionate frame was responsible for his hydrodynamics, including his long torso and irregular wingspan. His supposedly hyperextended chest and ankle joints helped him kick. Perhaps most importantly for a wild series of Olympic races, his body reportedly produces half as much lactic acid as the average athlete, giving him an extraordinary aid in recovery.

    He is literally built differently and has even won a few races that he shouldn’t have won.

    Many swimmers, including Phelps, noted this week after the disappointing performance by the U.S. men’s team that the rest of the world is catching up. The sport is growing and becoming more competitive around the world, making another Phelps even less likely.

    “The longer I’ve been in the sport, the more games I’ve attended, the more impressive it has become,” said Dressel. “To be so good at every single game and to be so dominant from 2000 to 2016, I can’t even imagine that.”

    He added: “It’s exciting for people to read this, but we’ll never see another Michael… especially because the sport has become so much more competitive.”

    Marchand could do it, and it would be spectacular if he did. But there’s a reason Phelps is the real GOAT, the true best of the best, the most decorated Olympian of all time. What he accomplished was beyond extraordinary; it was almost supernatural.

    Those of us who saw it live should be grateful, because as unprecedented as it was, it’s just as unlikely that we’ll ever see it again. There are and will be many swimming superstars, but there is no next Michael Phelps.

    Contributors: Sandy Hooper

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    Madoc Meredith
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