Joseph Schooling, the boy who beat Michael Phelps eight years after meeting his Olympic hero - Polidicks

[IMG]http://data1.ibtimes.co.in/cache-img-900-0-photo/en/full/46274/1471077025_joseph-schooling-beats-his-idol-michael-phelps-rio-olympics.jpg[/IMG] [QUOTE]Joseph Schooling rocked the swimming world when he defeated the most successful [URL="http://www.independent.co.uk/topic/rio-2016"]Olympic[/URL] athlete of all time in [URL="http://www.independent.co.uk/topic/MichaelPhelps"]Michael Phelps[/URL], eight years after he met the 22-time gold medallist as a young boy.21-year-old Schooling triumph in the thrilling 100m butterfly final that saw Singapore claim its first ever Olympic gold medal and three men share second place, with Phelps standing alongside rival Chad le Clos on the podium as well as Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh. Having already won four gold medals at the Rio Olympic Games, a fifth appeared to be a formality for 31-year-old Phelps, only for Schooling to upset the odds and turn the swimming world on its head. Schooling shot out into a lead that he would not relinquish as he recorded a new Olympic record of 50.39 seconds, with Phelps, Le Clos and Cseh all clocking 51.14 to share the silver medal. "I'm just ecstatic. I need it to sink in," Schooling told reporters afterwards. "It feels great - kind of feels surreal right now, it's crazy," he said. A picture of Schooling meeting Phelps back in 2008 was widely shared on social media that not only provided a heart-warming moment between the pair but also displayed Phelps’s incredible longevity in the pool, having dominated the sport for the past 16 years. Schooling was also hailed as a hero from his countrymen back home in Singapore, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong taking to Facebook to congratulate the nation’s maiden Olympic gold medallist.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-joseph-schooling-michael-phelps-picture-olympics-100m-butterfly-final-gold-medal-a7188801.html[/url] I think its worthy of a thread for this, its not everyday someone who is inspired end up competing on the same pool. And about damn time we get a gold.

He even inherited Phelps smile.

Between this and Fiji, today seems to be a good day for Rio Olympics.

You know, there's nothing quite liking meeting a role model, then surpassing him in the same sport 8 years later.

That's a good way to pass the torch. Katy Ledecky has a similar picture. Goes to show you how long Phelps has been racing, now that kids who looked to him as a role model are racing with him.

Damn. 2008 was 8 years ago? Has it really been that long?

For Phelps it would be the right time to go. Why not end your career knowing that you've successfully inspired those who looked up to you to be the greatest they can? It's crazy to see the side by side pictures of Schooling then and now. From a little kid to a beast in the water. Phelps is a once in a lifetime kind of swimmer. Perfect genes and the right motivation have made an unprecedented impact on the swimming community. Although many may surpass him in different events, it will be difficult to be as dominant and influential as he was on the sport and possibly even the Olympics as a whole.

phelps looks younger now than he did back then

[QUOTE=TheHydra;50878848]phelps looks younger now than he did back then[/QUOTE] That's because he learned to ride his bike with no handlebars.

[QUOTE=thefreemann;50878600]For Phelps it would be the right time to go. Why not end your career knowing that you've successfully inspired those who looked up to you to be the greatest they can? It's crazy to see the side by side pictures of Schooling then and now. From a little kid to a beast in the water. Phelps is a once in a lifetime kind of swimmer. Perfect genes and the right motivation have made an unprecedented impact on the swimming community. Although many may surpass him in different events, it will be difficult to be as dominant and influential as he was on the sport and possibly even the Olympics as a whole.[/QUOTE] I agree with that, Phelps is definitely something out of the ordinary and it's time for him to officially retire while he's still on top. As time goes on I think we'll see different swimmers take record times for individual events, but it's going to be very hard for someone to dominate like he did. Not to mention he kept it up for such a long time, which is incredible. You can tell he's just moving past his prime at this point and he knows it. Schooling was asking him after last night's race whether or not he would return in 2020 and Phelps pretty much said "No way!" IMO this was the perfect way to end it.

They were showing comparisons between Phelps and other swimmers getting out of the water and Phelps was much slower, almost struggling to get out of the pool, while the others were just effortlessly hopping out. His age shows.

[QUOTE=OvB;50879212]They were showing comparisons between Phelps and other swimmers getting out of the water and Phelps was much slower, almost struggling to get out of the pool, while the others were just effortlessly hopping out. His age shows.[/QUOTE] You can tell he was really breathing hard after every race he finished, his stamina just isn't where it used to be. I think he's actually in one more race tonight (4x100 relay) and then he's done.

[QUOTE=TheHydra;50878848]phelps looks younger now than he did back then[/QUOTE] Weed is a hell of a drug.

Looks like Phelps got Schooled

[I]At a press conference after the final, Michael Phelps was peppered with questions from international reporters. His response: "(Joseph Isaac Schooling) should be getting most of the questions... This kid just won a gold medal, guys. Let's ask him some more questions." [/I] What a guy, true sportsmanship