Amazing pace : The Story of Olympic Champion Michael Phelps From Sydney to Athens to Beijing Amazing

A vibrant portrait of American swimmer Michael Phelps—the dominant athlete at the 2004 Olympics—who has relentlessly pushed himself, promoted his sport, and appears poised to ultimately accumulate the most gold medals in Olympic history Before he was old enough to have a driver's license, Michael Phelps had a world record. Before he ever took a college class or turned 20, he had earned distinction by winning 8 medals—6 gold and 2 bronze—at the Athens Olympics, the most in non-boycotted Games. Along the way, he captivated an American television audience and confounded the critics who questioned his ambition. Amazing Pace : • provides the most revealing look yet at a young man who became a world-class athlete before he had the chance to grow up—by respected Baltimore Sun journalist Paul McMullen, who followed Phelps's rise from an obscure 14-year-old to the most scrutinized competitor at the world's biggest sporting event • details the plotting of his career, from turning professional at age 16, to the management of the first crises he encountered Paul McMullen's 5 years of observation add dramatic context to the life of a young athlete whose rise to prominence coincided with the tumult of the first Summer Olympics after 9/11. No Olympian has ever earned 10 gold medals in a career, but Michael Phelps is on pace to achieve that milestone at the 2008 Games in Beijing, China. A vibrant portrait of American swimmer Michael Phelps--the most decorated Olympian of all time--from an obscure and awkward 14-year-old to the most scrutinized competitor at the world's biggest sporting event. Before he was old enough to have a driver's license, Michael Phelps had a world record. Before he ever took a college class or turned 20, he had earned distinction by winning 8 medals--6 gold and 2 bronze--at the Athens Olympics, the most in non-boycotted Games. Along the way, he captivated an American television audience and confounded the critics who questioned his ambition. Amazing Pace is the most revealing look we have had at this remarkable athlete based on five years of observation by respected Baltimore Sun journalist, Paul McMullen. Highlights include: Phelps's unusual training regimen which shuns weight-lifting and cross-training and concentrates almost entirely on swimming--4 million yards per year, an average of 11,000 yards per day, every day The impact of parental separation and remarriage on Phelps' adolescence, specifically, how these affected familial support of an Olympian when it was needed most The emotional highs and lows of competitive athleticism, Phelps' decision to turn professional at the young age of 16, and the guilt and pressure that accompanied Phelps' surpassing his siblings' swimming careers Dramatic reporting from the 2004 Olympic Games; including the injury and personal missteps that threatened his life and career in the aftermath of his achievements in Athens McMullen's careful research adds unprecedented and dramatic context to the life of a young athlete who has achieved rock star status among swim fans, who seems remarkably cool on the outside while inside his competitive fire burns with an intensity that has rarely been matched __A vibrant portrait of American swimmer Michael Phelps—the dominant athlete at the 2004 Olympics—who has relentlessly pushed himself, promoted his sport, and appears poised to ultimately accumulate the most gold medals in Olympic history__Before he was old enough to have a driver's license, Michael Phelps had a world record. Before he ever took a college class or turned 20, he had earned distinction by winning 8 medals—6 gold and 2 bronze—at the Athens Olympics, the most in non-boycotted Games. Along the way, he captivated an American television audience and confounded the critics who questioned his ambition.__Amazing Pace__• provides the most revealing look yet at a young man who became a world-class athlete before he had the chance to grow up—by respected journalist Paul McMullen, who followed Phelps's rise from an obscure 14-year-old to the most scrutinized competitor at the world's biggest sporting event• details the plotting of his career, from turning professional at age 16, to the management of the first crises he encountered Paul McMullen's 5 years of observation add dramatic context to the life of a young athlete whose rise to prominence coincided with the tumult of the first Summer Olympics after 9/11. No Olympian has ever earned 10 gold medals in a career, but Michael Phelps is on pace to achieve that milestone at the 2008 Games in Beijing, China. Traces the athletic story of the record-setting swimmer and Olympic medallist, discussing how he rose from obscurity to become a professional in his teenage years, his participation in the Summer Olympics after the September 11 attacks, and his goals forthe 2008 Games in Beijing