Phelps hails role inspiring his own defeat

Michael Phelps has acknowledged a “small part” in his own dramatic Olympic defeat by Singapore hero Joseph Schooling but bears no grudge.
Phelps spent most of the Olympic swimming contest beating swimmers he had inspired into the pool. But Schooling, who was photographed with Phelps as a 13-year-old, stepped out of line in the 100m butterfly, spoiling the US legend’s all-win record in Rio.
“It’s incredible,” Phelps said Monday of falling to a swimmer 10 years his junior, who unabashedly points to the American great as his inspiration and role model.
“I would have liked to have won.
“But being able to watch Joe and being able to watch what he’s done over the last couple of years and to think that I was a little small part of his inspiration, it means a lot,” he added.
“It’s special, because it shows that I have been able to change the sport a little bit and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
The defeat meant he had one silver medal to go with his five golds in Rio.
And shortly after Schooling’s triumph, a photo of a 13-year-old Schooling with Phelps during the US team’s pre-Beijing Games training camp in Singapore in 2008 was a social media rage.
Schooling said Phelps “is the reason why I wanted to be a better swimmer.”
Two days after wrapping up his fifth and final Olympics, Phelps said he couldn’t have asked for a better legacy.
Phelps had a chance to see Schooling’s progress over the years, as the Singapore swimmer trained and competed in the United States first at the Bolles School in Florida and now at the University of Texas.
Schooling was on Phelps’s radar after breaking NCAA collegiate and US Open butterfly records swimming for Texas, and earning world championships bronze in Russia last year.
After Schooling clocked 50.39sec to edge Phelps, South African Chad le Clos and Hungarian Laszlo Cseh — who all tied for silver in 51.14 — Phelps said Schooling “swam a hell of a race” adding he was “excited just to see how much faster he goes.”

Schooling eyes more glory

In Singapore, Schooling, said on Tuesday he was looking to beat the world record for 100 meters butterfly and planned to compete in two more events at the next Olympics in Tokyo.
After winning gold in Rio de Janeiro in the 100 meters butterfly last week and reaching the semifinals in 100 meters freestyle, Schooling said he might also challenge in the 200 meters butterfly and the 200 meters individual medley (IM).
“Next goal, next step, besides breaking the record for 100 fly would be getting my 200 fly back. ... I’ve got a good shot. I’ve been training for 200 fly, that’s why I can finish a 100 pretty well,” he told reporters after returning to a cheering crowd in his home country.
“I think 200 IM would be a good race. An all-around race for me,” added Schooling, sporting a new tattoo of the Olympic circles on his right biceps.
Schooling, 21, finished the 100 meters butterfly final in an Olympic record time of 50.39 seconds, ahead of his childhood idol Michael Phelps, South Africa’s Chad le Clos and Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh who all finished in 51.14 seconds for a joint silver.
Singapore, a Southeast Asian island nation of less than six million, had won only two silver and two bronze medals since it joined the Olympic fold in 1948.
Schooling has been lifted to national hero status with parliament passing a motion to recognize his achievements on Monday. He is due for an open top bus parade on Thursday.
He thanked Phelps for his win.
“Michael took me under his wing and ... said: ‘look you’re so young, you’ve got so much ahead of you, don’t sweat it’ and that still sticks with me ‘till today,” he told Reuters in a brief interview after the news conference.
As part of its Foreign Sports Talent program, wealthy Singapore offers a S$1 million ($747,663) prize for gold medals. Schooling, whose parents sold their house to fund his training, according to news reports, does not have specific plans on how to spend it.
“I’ll let my mum do that, she’s good with money,” he told Reuters. He will focus on training for Tokyo instead.
“When I’m 25 I’m going to be at my peak. I’m going to be a lot stronger than I am now.”

Source: Arab News