Is a lovely person, but also a very kind person. No matter what others say about him, he is still a great Phelps.

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Phelps is undoubtedly a superstar now, but his style is similar to Jack's? Nicholson-Never lose affinity, modest and generous.

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The annual swimming event was not held in the Beijing Water Cube in August this year, but was held on the dance floor of a hotel in new york one week before Thanksgiving. The Golden Goggles Award-Swimming Circle Oscar Ceremony was held here, and almost all 43 members of the American Olympic swimming team attended. Female swimmers wear miniskirts and high heels, and the biceps on their arms are aggressive, all like the female version of Mount Tai. The men wore funny evening dresses, long hair and twisted bow ties. Before the golden goggles award, the guests got together and attended a cocktail party. Overlooking the dance floor, the night view of midtown Manhattan is unobstructed. Opposite is the magnificent Siegfried Theatre, where Hollywood blockbusters will hold the red carpet premiere. Although paparazzi captured the actors coming and going, the star charm of the Golden Goggles Award was unparalleled this evening.

In order to participate in this cocktail party, the audience needs to pay a ticket of 1250 USD. This fare is definitely worth it for the guests present. Darla. Torres shows up with Diane, a mature Hollywood woman? Like Ryan, she is a model of getting better and better with age. Allen? Pezol has a faint moustache, reminiscent of the bohemian California actor Irving? Wilson. As for Jason, he had early signs of baldness? Lesek, are we going to take him and the young actor Ejdby? Harris. All these swimmers made waves at the 29th Olympic Games, but as the reception went on bit by bit, 850 spectators began to get suspicious, and they anxiously searched backstage because one person was obviously not present. Gradually, the audience's voice grew louder and louder, turning into a suppressed exclamation, announcing Michael? Phelps is late.

The crowd immediately surged up and surrounded the 23-year-old Phelps, and four male chauvinist security guards were unprepared. Middle-aged women forget their manners, their hands are torn, and their huge diamond rings shine. They want to break the wall first and ask for Phelps' autograph. The teenage boy grabbed Phelps' arm, hoping to get his attention and take a photo with himself. Phelps is undoubtedly a superstar now, but his style is similar to Jack's? Nicholson-Never lose affinity, modest and generous. Although it looked like he was in an insane asylum, Phelps, wearing a custom Armani evening dress, was able to walk through the crowd calmly, trying to meet the needs of fans while stopping to give a warm hug and hello to his Olympic teammates.

He is still the big boy next door who became famous overnight. He has been trying to make a living in Zhang Chi, with a moderate degree. When appearing in a large public place, his agent always ensures that there is security around him at all times, but Phelps still wants to travel alone whenever he has the opportunity. This morning, he took the train from Baltimore alone. The only cover-up was a long upturned moustache on his upper lip. In fact, he likes this style very much. It was only some time before the event that he barely shaved off his beard at the urging of his agent. On the intercity train, he used his laptop to surf the Internet wirelessly all the way to Pennsylvania Station in new york City. Then he reached out and stopped a yellow taxi in the street. Along the way, no one recognized him and asked him for his autograph. He's just a nobody with an ipod. "You must go on with your life," he said.

The Golden Goggles Awards Ceremony begins. Phelps sits between his mother Debbie and his sister Hillary Clinton. At the Beijing Olympic Games, these two women can also win the Best Supporting Actress Award. Every game, the photographer will always aim at them firmly and record their smiles. The big screen TV in front of the ballroom first showed the wonderful scenes of the Olympic Games. Phelps said: "In fact, I never realized what happened at the Olympics. I don't have time and opportunity to review. " Now, he finally got this rare opportunity. When the unforgettable scenes of the Beijing Olympic Games reappeared, Debbie gently stroked her son's back and exchanged meaningful eyes with Hillary and her son. After watching the game clips, we can find that both mother and son have experienced great emotional shock, both blinking and trying to hide their tears.

At the end of this year, Phelps became a guest of various award ceremonies. He is the best male athlete of the year, the winner of the best male athlete performance award and the best relay athlete of the year. Whenever he gives a speech on the stage, he always sincerely thanks his family and coach Bob. Bowman and his teammates, he always said it was his great honor to wear the stars and stripes. However, on this evening, when the reporter asked him what was the happiest thing today, he replied without thinking: "Today, my mother and sister and I had a quiet dinner. I'm afraid it's hard for us to get such an opportunity. "

Before the award ceremony was over, guests with cameras had gathered around Phelps. They know that this is the last time to bring home a small souvenir about Phelps. A chair was knocked down in the chaos, and the muscular men quickly grabbed Phelps and escorted him out of the hotel. He didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to his mother, but at that moment, Debbie looked around helplessly and said to herself, "What happened here just now?"

Phelps' last rounds were broadcast live from 10 to1:30 pm EST, and "swimming hangover" became a reasonable explanation for people being late for work.

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What happened? It was the eighth day of August, Debbie? Phelps' son turned the Beijing Olympic Games into a series of thrillers, which were broadcast in prime time every night. Eight gold medals and seven world records are enough to establish Phelps' superstar status, and two classic scenes that happened to him will be repeatedly played on TV for decades: one is that on the second day of his race (August 14), he led the American team back to the top of the podium in the 4x 100 meter freestyle relay; The other is his seventh gold medal (August 16). In the exciting 100 meter butterfly competition, it is impossible for the naked eye to see whether he is the last champion, only the picture of high-powered camera confirms that his finger touched the wall first. In those days, the American election was in full swing, and the economic depression began to appear. Through his own efforts, Phelps has brought tens of millions of Americans together. Through TV, the audience saw the miracle that happened in that distant country on the other side of the earth and experienced the joy of breaking through the limits of human physical fitness.

As an ornamental sport, swimming has been marginalized. Even at the Olympics, it is usually not as popular as gymnastics and track events. But in China, Phelps turned every game into a golden show that should not be missed. In the 17 days of the Olympic Games, a total of 2150,000 American audiences watched the TV program by Dick? Ebersole said: "The Beijing Olympic Games is the most watched event in American history and has become a cultural miracle."

Phelps' last rounds were broadcast live from 10 to1:30 pm EST, and "swimming hangover" became a reasonable explanation for people being late for work. Even daytime TV programs are dominated by Phelps. In the cubicle of the office, in the dormitory of the university, and in the coffee shop that provides wireless internet service, sports fans are chasing Phelps' latest battle report and downloading videos of each of his games. During the Olympic Games, the number of views of NBC's nbcolympics.com in official website reached 65.438+0.3 billion, and the video hit rate was 75 million. Among 1000 Olympic athletes, Phelps alone brought 20% of the traffic.

In his hometown, Phelps' frenzy is overwhelming, and the city even got a nickname "Baltimore Bullet" because of him. On the night of his first final, Baltimore's Olympic ratings ranked first among major cities in the United States. When he hit the eighth gold medal, the city's NBC ratings accounted for 59%. In urban areas, three out of every five televisions are fixed on the Olympic channel. ) Here, Phelps became the hottest topic: the local football team Baltimore Ravens held a preseason game. Half an hour after the game ended, it was the last game of Phelps Olympic Games, so the club asked the fans to stay on the field and continue to watch their hero's game on the big screen. Thousands of people stayed, and even Baltimore's most notorious villain was greatly encouraged. This football line is thunder? Lewis (once accused of murder, the cover figure of the eighth issue of this magazine) said: My heart has been strongly impacted. I'm really shocked to see a man who is so determined to attack history and has great dreams. This is a very shocking moment. "

"When Michael/Kloc-was 0/5 years old, he told me that he wanted to change swimming. My reaction was like,' Well, that's good, kid. Who taught you to say that? He has been looking far away, and he believes that swimming will definitely become an important sport for the American people. "

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Just watching him on TV can't comfort Baltimore's enthusiastic fans. They want to really hug him. A fan went to the Meadowbrook Club, where Phelps practiced swimming as a child. His request is to take some "holy water" home from the small bottle in the swimming pool. A large number of followers even came to Pete's barbecue shop, where Phelps usually had breakfast before the game. During the Olympic Games, Phelps' typical breakfast set meal was provided here at the price of 19.95 yuan, which consisted of the following meals: three egg omelets, a bowl of corn porridge, three pieces of French toast sprinkled with powdered sugar, three pieces of chocolate bean pancakes, three pieces of fried egg sandwiches and cheese. Bakery owner David? Starr said: "Usually, a group of people order this breakfast. Only one buddy has eaten these things, but after eating, he said that his stomach hurts badly. "

Phelps doesn't eat like ordinary people, and his figure of 1.93 meters and 84 kilograms is also reminiscent of Greek sculpture, but fans don't regard him as superman, because in addition, he has a silly smile and a big ear. When I was a child on the school bus, his name was Spock. In addition, his speech has been a bit inarticulate so far, which is also one of his weaknesses and still bothers him. Being young and famous doesn't mean that he will live like a prince. When he was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and ADHD, and he had to go to the school doctor's office to take medicine every day, which made him feel particularly embarrassed. A year later, he was approved by the doctor not to take medicine. ) At the age of seven, his parents divorced and he was deeply hurt. Since then, he has seldom been with his father Fred? Phelps law firm. Now his father still lives in Baltimore, but he didn't go to Beijing to watch the game.

Michael. Phelps's imperfection makes it easier for people to regard him as one of their own, but kicking water is better than anyone else. Mother Debbie said, "Every day, Michael will be invited to his home-they will take him to the living room, have a potluck with him and even invite him to visit the bedroom. No one treats him as an outsider. "

Americans are so obsessed with Phelps that NBC decides to broadcast the World Swimming Championships for the first time next summer, and the American Swimming Championships from 2009 to 20 1 1 will also be broadcast live. Kathy. Leers. Bennett is the coach of Prairie Creek Club. He taught Phelps to swim when he was seven years old. She said, "When Michael 15, he told me that he wanted to change swimming. My reaction was like,' Well, that's good, kid. Who taught you to say that? He has been looking far away, and he believes that swimming will definitely become an important sport for the American people. "

This is Phelps' wish, and also to help all of us stand up from the sofa. I want to award Phelps the honor of the 55th annual athlete. "It's been a wonderful year," Phelps said at the Golden Goggles Awards Ceremony. "I hope there will be more surprises." There must be more. 20 12 London Olympic Games has been calling him, and Phelps' legend will not be measured only by medals.

It's 8 o'clock on Sunday morning, north of Baltimore. 165438+ 10 bitter cold month, strong winds, sparsely populated streets. The children all stay at home; Some people may still be sleeping, while others are watching cartoons or playing video games. In the indoor swimming pool of Grassland Creek Club, there are already about 70 children, ranging in age from 1 1 to 19, wearing "London 20 12" swimming caps, swimming back and forth desperately, their limbs pounding in the water. Is that coach Bob crouching by the pool? Bowman had a panoramic view of the children's performances while drinking coffee. To outsiders, all children seem to swim almost the same, but Bowman will tell you, "I can tell at a glance which children are five-star talents, which are four-stars, and which have no talent at all ..."

Several boys were making a scene in the swimming pool, and Bowman shouted at them at the top of his lungs. The children finally stopped, and Bowman said, "10 years ago, there must have been Michael among these children."

"Directly throw the child into the pool? It's nothing, "Phelps said. "The corporal punishment I have encountered is much more serious than this."

It was in this club, 1996, that Phelps, who was a little too lively, met his teacher Bowman, who had participated in the university swimming team and then turned his enthusiasm to teaching. Although the staff of Phelps' team didn't want to use the word "father", in fact, Bowman became the father in Phelps' eyes, and their relationship made it easier to understand why Phelps had such deep feelings for the Grassland Creek Club in his hometown. 1964，Leers？ Bennett taught here when she was just 13 years old, and now she is the director of the introductory swimming class. She said, "Michael has many friends here, and several people are regarded as role models by him." This is a safe place for him. Very comfortable, feel at home. He always feels comfortable here. "

The relationship between Bowman and Phelps has long gone beyond the friendship between mentor and apprentice. At the Academy Awards ceremony, when Bowman won the Coach Award for the third time in a row, he gave a speech on the stage, but he almost choked up. Finally, he just put his hand on his chest and said, "Michael, I love you."

After the Olympic Games, their relationship took a new direction. They established "Water Sports Investment Co., Ltd.". 1 1 In June, the company acquired the controlling shares of Grassland Creek Club and North Baltimore Water Sports Club. After the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Bowman left the Grassland Stream Team to coach the men's swimming team of the University of Michigan. Phelps, who won six medals in the Olympic Games, followed his mentor, and ann arbor, where his school is located, became the main battlefield for them to prepare for the Beijing Olympic Games. After the Beijing Olympic Games, Phelps became more and more homesick, so Bowman followed him back to Baltimore. They will be based in grassland streams and face the 20 12 Olympic Games. For this 78-year-old stadium with full personality (this is a polite way to put it), they have made a huge reconstruction plan. Phelps said: "We hope to turn it into one of the best training facilities in the United States. We hope to attract the best swimmers, introduce the best equipment and create the best environment. Bob and I both want everything to be perfect. This is our personality. "

Besides decoration, the biggest problem of this swimming pool is the venue. The outdoor 50m swimming pool is open to the public from May to September. 1 1,000 family members, about 500 in summer, can't accept more guests. When Phelps resumes his formal training in June+10 next year, I'm afraid he will find that the swimming lane next to him is either a few children wearing lifebuoys or an old man just to relax his muscles. Many locals speculate that Phelps' company will buy the outdoor skating rink next to it. If the two sides can get through, there should be two new swimming pools here. Regarding these speculations, Phelps said, "Now we have 1 10,000 ideas in our minds, so we need to spend some time to comprehensively consider everything."

I started swimming because I thought the water there was safe, pure and simple. I have always longed for children to grow up in a safe environment. My mission is to try my best to teach more people how to swim. The purpose of swimming is not to chase medals-sometimes, swimming can mean life and death. "

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It is only part of Phelps' dream to turn Grassland Creek Club into a dream place for all elite swimmers. One of the core goals of "michael phelps Foundation" is to let more children participate in swimming and make it safer for them to swim in the draught room. Phelps won a record eight gold medals, so Speedo offered him a prize of $6,543,800+which he invested in his own foundation. At the Golden Goggles Awards Ceremony, the organizer, the American Swimming Foundation, showed a video in which it was mentioned that drowning was the second leading cause of accidental death among children aged 5 to 14 in the United States. Hearing this, Phelps shook his head vigorously, as if to say, how did this happen? He said: "I was really surprised to hear this figure. Things have to change. I started swimming because I thought the water there was safe, pure and simple. I have always longed for children to grow up in a safe environment. My mission is to try my best to teach more people how to swim. The purpose of swimming is not to chase medals-sometimes, swimming means life and death. "

Phelps has been close to children for many years. As early as high school, he was a frequent visitor to the non-profit organization Boys and Girls Club, and most often appeared in group activities in Aberdeen, Maryland. Darlene, the head of Aberdeen Group Club? Lily said, "The children know whether you are sincere to them. Everything Michael has done for them is sincere, so they like him from the bottom of their hearts. A few years ago, we invited him to an activity. After the media and parents left, he looked really happy. He goes to the gym to play with children, such as basketball and football. They played all the games and played with the children for several hours. "

When he was a child, Phelps had to play with his brothers and sisters. These older children just treat him as a pet. During the interval of training, two older children will treat him as a beach volleyball and throw him from one fairway to another, so now Phelps knows how to deal with children, especially those who need special care. All along, he and Mei Sen 16 years old? Sekhoff is closely related. The young man is autistic. He practiced the 50m freestyle and100m freestyle and 50m backstroke in the club to prepare for the Special Olympics. Phelps invented a game specially for him. He tied a belt and a strong rubber rope around Mei Sen's waist. A big man stood at one end of the swimming pool with a rope in his hand. Phelps pulled Mei Sen and ran to the other end of the swimming pool. Then he suddenly gave up, and Mei Sen would suddenly fly out of the water. At this time, he will raise his arms high and scream loudly. "Seeing the joy on his face, I really think it is priceless," Phelps said. He also taught Mei Sen to fart underwater, so that bubbles would float on the water.

Mei Sen's mother Polly said with a smile, "It's really childish, but Mei Sen had a good time. His relationship with Michael is very important to him. Mei Sen is difficult to get close to others, and outsiders will find it difficult to deal with him, because his words and deeds are hard to understand, and many people don't know how to respond to him. Michael doesn't care about this at all. He is very open-minded and stupid enough to attract children. "

Mei Sen has an extraordinary memory. A long time ago, he could write down many words in the baseball encyclopedia, including the data of his father, B.J., who was a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. Now he is trying to memorize all the data of Phelps. Also inspired by Mei Sen, Phelps recorded several public service advertisements for the charity Autism Pathfinder, calling on everyone to raise money for it. After the Beijing Olympic Games, Phelps had a full schedule, but he managed to find time to make a guest appearance as a fashion model in Baltimore to raise money for autistic pathfinders.

It seems natural for a swimmer with amazing wingspan to reach out and say hello to others. At the end of 2004, the only time Phelps made a mistake on a business trip was in Solboz, Maryland. He ran a red light and was charged with drunk driving. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation 18 months. He faced up to his mistakes, publicly apologized, and sincerely talked with the children about how to be responsible for their actions at the children's group interest meeting in Albertine. Shortly after the news of drunk driving was exposed, the first Golden Goggles Award was held, and Ebersole of NBC won the prize. That night, he didn't prepare his acceptance speech. When he walked onto the stage, his eyes were fixed on Phelps sitting in the front row. They just have a nodding acquaintance, but Ebersole dedicated this award to the young swimmer. "At that time, everyone was too strict with Michael. When I received the prize that day, I said that the swimming world should be proud of him because of his great personality," Ebersole recalled. "Yes, he made a mistake, but his attitude towards mistakes is exactly the same as welcoming victory-full of dignity, graceful demeanor and no arrogance."

Debbie walked off the podium when Alberto. Phelps was in tears, and Michael made no secret of his feelings.

Two weeks later, Ebersole and his two sons, Charlie and Teddy, traveled by private jet. The plane crashed shortly after taking off because of the report that there was ice. Teddy, 14 years old, two crew members were killed. Ebersole has a broken back. Teddy's funeral was held in Connecticut. Ebersole was surprised when he saw Phelps who came from Michigan. This is the beginning of their friendship. Ebersole said, "I don't like crying. But every time I see him win another game in Beijing, I always get choked up. Because every time I think of Michael, I think of my son. "

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When Michael finally won the championship, I kept crying. I'm really happy for him, but the thought that Steve can't cheer for him with us fills my heart with bitterness. "

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The Olympic Games also aroused the emotions of the Hansen family. They live in the suburbs of Baltimore, and they first came into contact with Phelps in the autumn of 2002. At that time, Steve, the youngest son in the family? Hansen, only seven years old, is already a successful swimmer, but unfortunately he has a brain tumor. His idol is Phelps. Through coach Bowman, the family got in touch with Phelps. As a result, the day before Steve's operation, Phelps came to Hansen's house. He and Steve played basketball together in the backyard and introduced their favorite junk food to each other. After the operation, Phelps sent Steve a bunch of balloons and a basket of delicious but unhealthy snacks. The following summer, Phelps suddenly appeared in Steve's swimming competition. The little boy saw him, rushed over from the other side of the pool and plunged into the idol's arms. In the parent-coach relay race that day, Phelps took part in the last relay in a borrowed swimsuit.

Steve often sits by the pool of Grassland Creek Swimming Pool and watches idol training. Phelps will always take care of the child after he goes to ann arbor. Steve's tumor began to metastasize, but he never gave up swimming. In April 2007, his condition began to deteriorate. Phelps rushed to his hometown after hearing the news, but he didn't arrive at Hansen's home until midnight that day because of the flight delay. Steve took the medicine and fell asleep, so Phelps sat quietly by his bed for two hours and talked to him quietly. Steve's mother Beth said, "Michael has been holding his hand gently." We are all touched to see such a tall and strong big boy become so gentle. "Before leaving, Phelps whispered in Steve's ear that I would win a medal for him in Beijing. I hope this medal is gold.

Steve died a month later. Phelps attended the farewell ceremony and brought a big bunch of purple flowers, which is Steve's favorite color.

In the summer of 2008, the Hansen family sat in front of the TV and watched Phelps' first final in the Beijing Olympic Games, which was the 400-meter individual medley. A year ago, his promise rang again in everyone's ears. Beth said, "each of us has suffered a great impact on our feelings." When Michael finally won the championship, I kept crying. I'm really happy for him, but the thought that Steve can't cheer for him with us fills my heart with bitterness. "

After the 400-meter individual medley, on the other side of the world, someone was thinking about Steve. Phelps said: "I promised him that I would win a gold medal for him." I really did it for him, which means a lot to me. "

The Hansons 1 1 year-old daughter Grace is also a swimmer, and her performance is quite good. In the recent competition, she participated in 8 competitions and set 6 personal records. If Phelps' goal is to inspire the younger generation to swim, then Grace proves that he has done a good job. She said, "I learned to swim because of my brother Steve. Now, my motivation for swimming comes entirely from Michael. "

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Although he was not born to speak in front of the camera, Phelps still thinks he can't miss too many opportunities. He said: "I feel obligated to promote this sport. I didn't expect myself at all. I just think it would be cool for a swimmer-any swimmer-to host saturday night live. "

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This Thanksgiving is the first time Phelps has spent time with his family since 2004. When he used to train in Ann Arbor, he didn't want to interrupt his training plan because of a holiday. Sister Hillary said, "Last year was the worst year. We called him specially, and his old man's house was fine. He just left the swimming pool and ordered a Chinese takeaway himself. After hearing about it, my heart was broken. "

In addition to home cooking, Phelps said that the biggest advantage of returning to Baltimore is that he can often see his mother and two sisters. The eldest sister Hillary is single and works in an environmental organization in Washington. Whitney, the second sister, lives in Rockville, Maryland with her husband and two children and works in a financial company. The family has always been very close, and they are very close to each other. Now Phelps is closer to his family than ever before, because he said, "They can let me live a normal life."

After the Olympic Games, Phelps' life became a mess, with countless business talks, work meetings and media meetings waiting for him every day. /kloc-hosted the new season premiere of "saturday night live" in September, and was the guest of MTV music video award ceremony in the same month. Although he was not born to speak in front of the camera, Phelps still thinks he can't miss too many opportunities. He said: "I feel obligated to promote this sport. I didn't expect myself at all. I just think it would be cool for a swimmer-any swimmer-to host saturday night live. "

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"I am single now. Now it seems that everyone is paying attention to this problem. "

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Phelps is used to being worshipped and attending his own swimming events, such as golden goggle awards, but in recent months, he has found that he is equally popular in the wider world. Peter, who has been Phelps' agent for a long time? Carlisle said: "There was a big party after the MTV awards ceremony, and thousands of people gathered in a big tent to party. When Michael came in, everyone went crazy. Even the security guards were a little at a loss and had to escort Michael into the VIP room. There are about 100 people in that private room, many of them are not small. But the same thing happened again-people kept asking him to sign a photo. So the security guard came running again and dragged Michael into another room. I guess it should be called VVIP room. More than a dozen people here are absolutely first-class stars, such as Paris? Hilton, Jonas Brothers, Demi? Moore, it's come to this. Unexpectedly, the same thing happened again when we entered the room. Everyone immediately gathered around and handed him the camera and pen again! Michael looked at me as if to say, "Dude, can you believe it?" This scene is completely untrue. "

unfinished .......