Defending champion Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele retained his Olympic title in the African-dominated men's 10,000 meters race at the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday.
Defending champion Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele retained his Olympic title in the African-dominated men's 10,000 meters race at the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday.
Bekele, the reigning world record holder, clocked 27 minutes and 1.17 seconds to refresh the Olympic record created by himself at the Athens Games four years ago.
The 26-year-old distance runner has become the sixth who has won back-to-back Olympic titles in the men's longest track race with a best result of 26:25.97 this season.
As also a three-time world champion in the event, Bekele has been one of the favorites including his countryman former world record holder Haile Gebrselassie who has run 26:51.20 this year.
"It is very special to defend my Olympic title and the medal is a big gift to me and my country." said Bekele. " It was a fantastic race, not too fast not too slow, although the second half was very tough, no one can really trouble me."
"For the moment I don't have a plan for four years long to the next Olympic Games. But I will continue to make history for myself and my country and I will not give up running since it is a gifted talent, it is my job." He added.
Bekele's countryman Sileshi Sihine won the silver medal by running 27 minutes and 2.77 seconds. Sihine outpaced Kenya's Micah Kogo at the last lap who won the bronze medal.
"I am so happy to see that we have won 1-2 in the race and I am also happy to win the silver medal." Sihine said.
Kogo and another Kenyan runner Moses Ndiema Masai, who finally ranked the fourth, had led the race for most of the time and just stayed on the Ethiopians' heels in the last two laps.
"Kenenisa moved out in the last two lap so it is hard to beat him for he is in the top level. I pushed hard, but I couldn't catch up with him." said Kogo.
The 35-year-old Gebrselassie ran 27 minutes and 6.68 seconds to achieve the sixth place.
"I am very happy to see Ethiopian athletes won the top two places. Today this is what I can do. I enjoy the race and the wonderful stadium, audience and the Olympics." said Gebrselassie.
"It is hard to say whether I will retire after this Games. I said to retire four years ago, but I kept running. I really want to focus on marathon race." said the Ethiopian distance idol who decided not to participate in marathon at the Beijing Olympics for an excuse of "health problem".
"I am not sure whether it will be his last Games. he said a lot before. maybe yes maybe no." Bekele said at the press conference.
To a question on who is the greatest runner of Ethiopia between him and Gebrselassie, the gold medalist cautiously replied, "I have no idea."
Source:Xinhua
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Horse ride or horse fight?
Azerbaijani rider Jamal Rahimov falls from his horse Ionesco de Brekka during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Rahimov was eliminated from the competition due to his falling.
Azerbaijani rider Jamal Rahimov falls from his horse Ionesco de Brekka during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Rahimov was eliminated from the competition due to his falling.
Azerbaijani rider Jamal Rahimov falls from his horse Ionesco de Brekka during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Rahimov was eliminated from the competition due to his falling.
Azerbaijani rider Jamal Rahimov falls from his horse Ionesco de Brekka during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Rahimov was eliminated from the competition due to his falling.
Brazilian rider Pedro Veniss falls from his horse Un Blanc De Blancs during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier and jumping team round 1 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Pedro was eliminated from the competition after he fell off his horse.
Azerbaijani rider Jamal Rahimov falls from his horse Ionesco de Brekka during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Rahimov was eliminated from the competition due to his falling.
Azerbaijani rider Jamal Rahimov falls from his horse Ionesco de Brekka during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Rahimov was eliminated from the competition due to his falling.
Azerbaijani rider Jamal Rahimov falls from his horse Ionesco de Brekka during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Rahimov was eliminated from the competition due to his falling.
Brazilian rider Pedro Veniss falls from his horse Un Blanc De Blancs during the jumping individual 2nd qualifier and jumping team round 1 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games equestrian events in the Olympic co-host city of Hong Kong, south China, Aug 17, 2008. Pedro was eliminated from the competition after he fell off his horse.
Fraser leads Jamaican sweep in women's 100m
Sehlly-Ann Fraser became the world's fastest woman as she led Jamaica to a cleansweep of the medals in the 100 meters final at the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday.
Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica celebrates afer winning women's 100m final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Shelly-Ann Fraser claimed the title of the event.
Fraser clocked 10.78 seconds for the gold, the second fastest time in Olympic history, only after world record holder Florence Griffith Joyner's 10.62 clocked in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Fraser's compatriots Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson crossed the finish line in an identical time of 10.98 seconds.
Jamaican sprinters have stole the limelight of the show at the National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, since the athletics competition kicked off.
Usain Bolt stunned the world on Saturday night by running away with the men's 100 meters gold with a shocking world record of 9.69 seconds.
Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica lunges at the finish line in women's 100m final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Shelly-Ann Fraser claimed the title of the event.
Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica reacts after crossing the finish line in women's 100m final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Shelly-Ann Fraser claimed the title of the event.
Source:Xinhua
Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica celebrates afer winning women's 100m final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Shelly-Ann Fraser claimed the title of the event.
Fraser clocked 10.78 seconds for the gold, the second fastest time in Olympic history, only after world record holder Florence Griffith Joyner's 10.62 clocked in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Fraser's compatriots Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson crossed the finish line in an identical time of 10.98 seconds.
Jamaican sprinters have stole the limelight of the show at the National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, since the athletics competition kicked off.
Usain Bolt stunned the world on Saturday night by running away with the men's 100 meters gold with a shocking world record of 9.69 seconds.
Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica lunges at the finish line in women's 100m final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Shelly-Ann Fraser claimed the title of the event.
Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica reacts after crossing the finish line in women's 100m final at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Shelly-Ann Fraser claimed the title of the event.
Source:Xinhua
Liu Xiang pulls out of 110 hurdles with injury
China's Liu Xiang prepares prior to the first round competition of men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury.
China's Liu Xiang kneels down while warming up prior to the first round competition of men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury.
China's Liu Xiang reacts on the starting line during the first round competition of men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury.
China's Liu Xiang leaves the tracks after getting injury in the first round competition of men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008.
A spectator reacts after China's Liu Xiang failed to compete in the men's first round 110m hurdles heat 6 at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 18, 2008.
China's Liu Xiang kneels down while warming up prior to the first round competition of men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury.
China's Liu Xiang reacts on the starting line during the first round competition of men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury.
China's Liu Xiang leaves the tracks after getting injury in the first round competition of men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008.
A spectator reacts after China's Liu Xiang failed to compete in the men's first round 110m hurdles heat 6 at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 18, 2008.
Phelps shares joy of victory with family members
China's urban fixed-asset investment rose to 27.3 percent in the first seven months from 26.8 percent in the first half, the National Bureau of Statistics said yesterday.
The amount of FAI in the January-July period settled at 7.2 trillion yuan , fueled by reconstruction work in Sichuan Province after the May 12 earthquake, analysts said.
Spending by Chinese mainland enterprises gained 28.2 percent to 6.43 trillion yuan. Foreign investment rose 19.8 percent to 409.3 billion yuan while investors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan raised their investment by 19.7 percent to 335.6 billion yuan.
Quake survivor Li Daoping stands in front of the prefab he built in Magui Village, Zundao Township of Mianzhu City in southwest China's quake-hit Sichuan Province August 7, 2008.
"The reconstruction work after the earthquake and the snowstorm requires huge capital input and it becomes a stimulant to bolster investment growth," said Li Maoyu, of Changjiang Securities.
Peng Ken, a Citigroup economist, said: "High commodity prices and shortages likely attracted the additional capital into mining while the start of reconstruction efforts in the quake-stricken regions could have boosted investment that is likely to continue to support growth through the rest of this year and into 2009."
The central government plans to transfer 70 billion yuan to fund reconstruction work in Sichuan over the next three years.
Meanwhile, the State Council has ordered 19 provinces in eastern and central regions to help rebuild roads, power lines, factories and homes in the province.
China's retail sales surged 23.3 percent in July to 862.9 billion yuan, the fastest pace since 1996.
The People's Bank of China has not moved the interest rate so far this year, to which investments are more sensitive than an increase in the reserve requirement ratio.
The stable investment to the end of July can improve the output outlook after industrial production cooled to 14.7 percent last month, the slowest since February last year.
In the first seven months, spending on property development added 30.9 percent to 1.59 trillion yuan.
Investment in coal exploration and production jumped 37.5 percent to 104.5 billion yuan while petroleum and natural gas spending rose by 33.5 percent to 126.5 billion yuan.
Source:Xinhua
The amount of FAI in the January-July period settled at 7.2 trillion yuan , fueled by reconstruction work in Sichuan Province after the May 12 earthquake, analysts said.
Spending by Chinese mainland enterprises gained 28.2 percent to 6.43 trillion yuan. Foreign investment rose 19.8 percent to 409.3 billion yuan while investors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan raised their investment by 19.7 percent to 335.6 billion yuan.
Quake survivor Li Daoping stands in front of the prefab he built in Magui Village, Zundao Township of Mianzhu City in southwest China's quake-hit Sichuan Province August 7, 2008.
"The reconstruction work after the earthquake and the snowstorm requires huge capital input and it becomes a stimulant to bolster investment growth," said Li Maoyu, of Changjiang Securities.
Peng Ken, a Citigroup economist, said: "High commodity prices and shortages likely attracted the additional capital into mining while the start of reconstruction efforts in the quake-stricken regions could have boosted investment that is likely to continue to support growth through the rest of this year and into 2009."
The central government plans to transfer 70 billion yuan to fund reconstruction work in Sichuan over the next three years.
Meanwhile, the State Council has ordered 19 provinces in eastern and central regions to help rebuild roads, power lines, factories and homes in the province.
China's retail sales surged 23.3 percent in July to 862.9 billion yuan, the fastest pace since 1996.
The People's Bank of China has not moved the interest rate so far this year, to which investments are more sensitive than an increase in the reserve requirement ratio.
The stable investment to the end of July can improve the output outlook after industrial production cooled to 14.7 percent last month, the slowest since February last year.
In the first seven months, spending on property development added 30.9 percent to 1.59 trillion yuan.
Investment in coal exploration and production jumped 37.5 percent to 104.5 billion yuan while petroleum and natural gas spending rose by 33.5 percent to 126.5 billion yuan.
Source:Xinhua
IAAF spokesperson: wish Liu best luck and coming back soon
China's Zou Kai won gymnastics men's floor exercise gold medal Sunday at the Beijing Olympics.
China's Zou Kai performs on the floor during the men's apparatus final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008.
The 20-year-old, who was making his Olympic debut, won the surprise gold medal at 16.050 points, after reigning world champion Diego Hypolito of Brazil and Olympic silver medallist Marian Dragulescu failed their routines.
China's Zou Kai performs on the floor during the men's apparatus final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Zou Kai claimed the title of the event with a score of 16.050.
Gervasio Deferr from Spain took the silver in 15.775 points, and the bronze went to Russia's Anton Golotsutskov, in 15.725 points.
It was host China's fourth gold medal, after its gymnasts swept the golds for men's team, women's team and men's all-around events.
Zou, entering the final in sixth place when he took to the floor as the fifth player and staged a strong performance on difficulty of 6.7 points, the highest among the eight finals.
Before him, Dragulescu, a three-time Olympian and the floor exercise silver medallist in Athens, sat on the mat after a tumbling combination.
Hypolito, known for having one of the most difficult floor exercise routines, suffered a last-minute defeat when he fell back and sat on the floor after completing his complicated routines.
"I pushed my legs underneath and there was a mistake," said Hypolito after the match. "It was a technical mistake. there's nothing I can do with it."
"I do not think I am the dark horse," said Zou Kai, adding that he believed he is strong enough to have the gold and he is in good form in the competition.
Source: Xinhua
China's Zou Kai performs on the floor during the men's apparatus final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008.
The 20-year-old, who was making his Olympic debut, won the surprise gold medal at 16.050 points, after reigning world champion Diego Hypolito of Brazil and Olympic silver medallist Marian Dragulescu failed their routines.
China's Zou Kai performs on the floor during the men's apparatus final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Zou Kai claimed the title of the event with a score of 16.050.
Gervasio Deferr from Spain took the silver in 15.775 points, and the bronze went to Russia's Anton Golotsutskov, in 15.725 points.
It was host China's fourth gold medal, after its gymnasts swept the golds for men's team, women's team and men's all-around events.
Zou, entering the final in sixth place when he took to the floor as the fifth player and staged a strong performance on difficulty of 6.7 points, the highest among the eight finals.
Before him, Dragulescu, a three-time Olympian and the floor exercise silver medallist in Athens, sat on the mat after a tumbling combination.
Hypolito, known for having one of the most difficult floor exercise routines, suffered a last-minute defeat when he fell back and sat on the floor after completing his complicated routines.
"I pushed my legs underneath and there was a mistake," said Hypolito after the match. "It was a technical mistake. there's nothing I can do with it."
"I do not think I am the dark horse," said Zou Kai, adding that he believed he is strong enough to have the gold and he is in good form in the competition.
Source: Xinhua
China lose to Greece 91-77 to finish fourth
With eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps has ascended to the top of the world.
"This is a dream come true for me," the swimmer said. He not only accomplished his goal of breaking the seven-gold mark of his countryman Mark Spitz in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, but also went well beyond that.
"I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz," he said.
"Being able to have something like that to shoot for made those days when you were tired and didn't want to be there, when you just wanted to go home and sleep, not work out," he added.
In Beijing, Phelps swam 17 races, totaling an unmatched length of 3,200 meters in the water. He swept the golds in his pet events, overpowered competitors in his weak races and still managed to win when his goggle malfunctioned.
"I went from hitting my head on the wall to win by one hundredth of a second to doing my best time in every event. It's been nothing but an upwards roller coaster. It's been nothing but fun," he said.
Phelps now has 14 Olympic gold medals around his neck, making him the greatest Olympian of all time. At the award ceremony for the 4X100 medley relay, Phelps was given a special certificate by swimming governing body FINA to acknowledge his achievements.
The golds were hard work paying off, Phelps said. "My coach Bob always said to me that it was like putting money in the bank. I guess I put a lot of money in the bank for the last four years, and we withdrew pretty much every penny of it."
With stunning races in the Beijing's Water Cube, Phelps has turned the competition into a one-man show. Many superlatives were piled on the 23-year-old American. Online, he was called the Poseidon, the half-man half-fish, and the extra-terrestrial. Netizens attempted to decipher his success by analyzing the picture of his body, digging out what he eats and even what music he listens to.
Phelps has conquered almost everyone, his teammates, competitors, coaches, swimming officials and of course the spectators.
Australian swim coach Alan Thompson said the presence of Phelps "made a field of great swimmers look ordinary." His teammate Aaron Peirsol said it might be once in a century you see something like Phelps races. "He's not just winning, he's absolutely destroying everything. It's awesome to watch," Peirsol said.
His rival Park Tae-hwan said it was both an honour and a tragic thing to compete with Phelps, because he could only swim for the second. Three-time Olympian Australian Grant Hackett said there are no words to describe Phelps' level of achievement. "In my opinion we'll never ever see it again, it will never be emulated," Hackett said on Sunday.
"I said he could win six or seven, with a little luck maybe eight. That 100 butterfly race, the way he got on that wall, everything lined up for him perfectly. He is an incredible racer," Hackett said.
Phelps won that 100 fly race by the smallest margin -- 0.01 seconds over the runner-up Serbian swimmer. The Serbian team filed an official protest, but had to settle for a silver when the timing system also seemed to be with the phenom.
"Michael Phelps is the greatest ever. He was always first in the race. It was a question to share or not to share first place. Everything we saw, the first arrival was Michael Phelps," said FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu, when explaining the 100m fly race dispute.
Looking back, Phelps admitted there was a bit of luck.
"I guess eight is a lucky number for me, too, now. Seeing 8/8/08 and the opening ceremony started at 8/8/08. Maybe it was meant to be," he said.
Starting swimming at the age of five, Phelps built up from his perfect physique, with an armspan longer than his height, to be the best swimmer in the world.
"I think I'm lucky to have everything I have. I'm lucky to have the talent, the drive and the excitement about the sport. I'm fortunate for every quality that I have," he said.
In 2000, Phelps made his Olympic debut as the youngest athlete on the U.S. team and placed fifth in the 200m butterfly. Months later, he set a new best in the event as the youngest man to break a world record. He won six gold medals and two bronzes in Athens, and seven golds in the Melbourne World Championships last year.
In Beijing, the swimming icon rocketed to another career peak and he was filled with emotions when he looked back at what he has done.
"I've dreamed of a lot of things, and written down a lot of goals. And this one was the biggest one I had ever written down," he said.
"My Mom and I still joked that in the middle school, I had an English teacher saying I'd never be successful. It's from little things like that," he said, elaborating his thoughts when he savored the golds.
The past week has been one of the most emotional one for Phelps. "I just wanted to make sure I took every single moment in, every single swim in, and every moment I had with my team-mates in, so I could remember that. I've had so many great moments here in China," he said.
Wrapping up his Beijing trip, Phelps planned to have the break that he always wanted.
"One of the things I'm looking forward to is going back to the States. I just want to lay in my own bed for five minutes at least and just relax."
"I woke up this morning and saw two of my friends with some fake gold medals around their neck and everyone has gone crazy. I'm excited to seeing them and I look forward not doing anything, just sitting," he said.
Looking into future goals, Phelps said he wanted to keep racing.
"I like to try some other events, maybe not do some of the events I did here. My coach Bob said he wants to start fresh, do things he hasn't done before, trying new training methods," he said.
In the long term, he wants to continue to raise the bar for swimming.
"The goal that I have and working towards is in progress, it's going to take some time to really be where I wanted to be," he said. Phelps' sensational swimming races have skyrocketed the TV ratings in his country.
"I don't want the sport to be an every-four-year sport. We are given much attention every four years, but there isn't really as much exposure for us," he said.
"I want to get people involved in the sport and be aware of what we're doing. In the upcoming years we will see it happen more and more," he said.
"Swimming has changed my life and allowed me to do so many things. To enable the next generation to do more, I can't even imagine what it will be like. I'm excited to watch it change," he said.
Source: Xinhua
"This is a dream come true for me," the swimmer said. He not only accomplished his goal of breaking the seven-gold mark of his countryman Mark Spitz in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, but also went well beyond that.
"I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz," he said.
"Being able to have something like that to shoot for made those days when you were tired and didn't want to be there, when you just wanted to go home and sleep, not work out," he added.
In Beijing, Phelps swam 17 races, totaling an unmatched length of 3,200 meters in the water. He swept the golds in his pet events, overpowered competitors in his weak races and still managed to win when his goggle malfunctioned.
"I went from hitting my head on the wall to win by one hundredth of a second to doing my best time in every event. It's been nothing but an upwards roller coaster. It's been nothing but fun," he said.
Phelps now has 14 Olympic gold medals around his neck, making him the greatest Olympian of all time. At the award ceremony for the 4X100 medley relay, Phelps was given a special certificate by swimming governing body FINA to acknowledge his achievements.
The golds were hard work paying off, Phelps said. "My coach Bob always said to me that it was like putting money in the bank. I guess I put a lot of money in the bank for the last four years, and we withdrew pretty much every penny of it."
With stunning races in the Beijing's Water Cube, Phelps has turned the competition into a one-man show. Many superlatives were piled on the 23-year-old American. Online, he was called the Poseidon, the half-man half-fish, and the extra-terrestrial. Netizens attempted to decipher his success by analyzing the picture of his body, digging out what he eats and even what music he listens to.
Phelps has conquered almost everyone, his teammates, competitors, coaches, swimming officials and of course the spectators.
Australian swim coach Alan Thompson said the presence of Phelps "made a field of great swimmers look ordinary." His teammate Aaron Peirsol said it might be once in a century you see something like Phelps races. "He's not just winning, he's absolutely destroying everything. It's awesome to watch," Peirsol said.
His rival Park Tae-hwan said it was both an honour and a tragic thing to compete with Phelps, because he could only swim for the second. Three-time Olympian Australian Grant Hackett said there are no words to describe Phelps' level of achievement. "In my opinion we'll never ever see it again, it will never be emulated," Hackett said on Sunday.
"I said he could win six or seven, with a little luck maybe eight. That 100 butterfly race, the way he got on that wall, everything lined up for him perfectly. He is an incredible racer," Hackett said.
Phelps won that 100 fly race by the smallest margin -- 0.01 seconds over the runner-up Serbian swimmer. The Serbian team filed an official protest, but had to settle for a silver when the timing system also seemed to be with the phenom.
"Michael Phelps is the greatest ever. He was always first in the race. It was a question to share or not to share first place. Everything we saw, the first arrival was Michael Phelps," said FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu, when explaining the 100m fly race dispute.
Looking back, Phelps admitted there was a bit of luck.
"I guess eight is a lucky number for me, too, now. Seeing 8/8/08 and the opening ceremony started at 8/8/08. Maybe it was meant to be," he said.
Starting swimming at the age of five, Phelps built up from his perfect physique, with an armspan longer than his height, to be the best swimmer in the world.
"I think I'm lucky to have everything I have. I'm lucky to have the talent, the drive and the excitement about the sport. I'm fortunate for every quality that I have," he said.
In 2000, Phelps made his Olympic debut as the youngest athlete on the U.S. team and placed fifth in the 200m butterfly. Months later, he set a new best in the event as the youngest man to break a world record. He won six gold medals and two bronzes in Athens, and seven golds in the Melbourne World Championships last year.
In Beijing, the swimming icon rocketed to another career peak and he was filled with emotions when he looked back at what he has done.
"I've dreamed of a lot of things, and written down a lot of goals. And this one was the biggest one I had ever written down," he said.
"My Mom and I still joked that in the middle school, I had an English teacher saying I'd never be successful. It's from little things like that," he said, elaborating his thoughts when he savored the golds.
The past week has been one of the most emotional one for Phelps. "I just wanted to make sure I took every single moment in, every single swim in, and every moment I had with my team-mates in, so I could remember that. I've had so many great moments here in China," he said.
Wrapping up his Beijing trip, Phelps planned to have the break that he always wanted.
"One of the things I'm looking forward to is going back to the States. I just want to lay in my own bed for five minutes at least and just relax."
"I woke up this morning and saw two of my friends with some fake gold medals around their neck and everyone has gone crazy. I'm excited to seeing them and I look forward not doing anything, just sitting," he said.
Looking into future goals, Phelps said he wanted to keep racing.
"I like to try some other events, maybe not do some of the events I did here. My coach Bob said he wants to start fresh, do things he hasn't done before, trying new training methods," he said.
In the long term, he wants to continue to raise the bar for swimming.
"The goal that I have and working towards is in progress, it's going to take some time to really be where I wanted to be," he said. Phelps' sensational swimming races have skyrocketed the TV ratings in his country.
"I don't want the sport to be an every-four-year sport. We are given much attention every four years, but there isn't really as much exposure for us," he said.
"I want to get people involved in the sport and be aware of what we're doing. In the upcoming years we will see it happen more and more," he said.
"Swimming has changed my life and allowed me to do so many things. To enable the next generation to do more, I can't even imagine what it will be like. I'm excited to watch it change," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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