M.G. Siegler, writing for 500ish Words:
The other day I read this great SI profile of Michael Phelps (thanks Jason, for pointing it my way). You should definitely read it for yourself. But the key takeaway is this: after years of swimming and winning at unprecedented levels, Phelps never quite “gave it his all.” But now, with the 2016 games approaching, Phelps is fully committed to being the best he can be.
At first read, this is inspirational. One of the greatest athletes this world has ever known is ready to give it one last go at the Olympics in 2016. And this time, he’s ready to give it all he’s got. Wow! What will we see this summer?
On second read, this is sort of sad, and actually annoying. Phelps, with an assist from genetics, was bestowed with an amazing talent, making him probably the most gifted natural swimmer ever. And, as a result, he became the most decorated athlete ever. And yet, you can’t help but be left with the feeling of “what might have been” after reading this article.
Read the whole thing. It’s terrific, especially when he brings in the conversation from “Good Will Hunting”.
Katie Ledecky is phenomenal with her best years ahead of her. She is the most dominant athlete in the world today and is already giving her best. She deserves the most attention in 2016, but Phelps will get it.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/somebody-get-katie-ledecky-a-time-machine/
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I read the Phelps piece and came away with a different conclusion than Siegler did. Mr. Phelps has battled some demons to get to where he is today. Good for him.
Squandered opportunities? I don’t think so.
There more to life than a checklist of things accomplished Mr. Siegler.