Michael Phelps - The Greatest Olympian Ever wins 8 Gold Medals at Olympics: HD Videos

[Jabba]

Follow the progress here of arguably the greatest Olympian ever:

Men's 400m individual medley final : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing.Olympics.2008-08-09.Mens.Swimming.400m.Individual.Medley.720p.HDTV. x264-aAF/

Men's 4 x 100m freestyle relay final : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing%202008%20Olympic%20Games%20Men's%204%20x%2 0100m%20Freestyle%20Relay%20Swimming%20Final%20Eng lish%201080i%20HDTV%20MPG2/ (http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing%202008%20Olympic%20Games%20Men's%204%20x%2 0100m%20Freestyle%20Relay%20Swimming%20Final%20Eng lish%201080i%20HDTV%20MPG2/)

Men's 200m Freestyle Swimming final 1080i : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing%202008%20Olympic%20Games%20Men's%20200m%20 Freestyle%20Swimming%20Final%201080i%20HDTV%20MPEG 2/

Men's 200m butterfly final : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing.2008.Olympic.Games.Men's.200m.Butterfly.Sw imming.Final.HDTV.720p.English.x264/

Men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay final: : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing.2008.Olympic.Games.Men's.4.x.200m.Freestyl e.Relay.Swimming.Final.English.720p.HDTV.x264/

Men's 200m individual medley final : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing%202008%20Olympic%20Games%20080814%20Men's% 20200m%20Individual%20Medley%201080i%20NBCHD/

Men's 100m butterfly final : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing.2008.Olympic.Games.Swimming.Men's.100m.But terfly.Final.English.HDTV.720p.x264/

Men's 4x100m medley relay final : NBCHD live broadcast.

http://66.135.37.234/Olympics/Beijing.2008.Olympic.Games.Swimming.Men's.4.x.100m .Medley.Relay.Final.HDTV.720p.x264/

[Minacious]

Yeah, Phelps is a machine.

That 4x100 final was quite a race.

[nthfinity]

I watched the 4x100 last night.... I'll be honest, I haven't watched the olympics at all since 1996; but this one seems a little more exciting somehow.

Tremendous race between the French, and the Americans.... I thought there was no way we could win.. impressive!

[Jabba]

Yeh it followed us Brits getting our first Gold in the pool since the 60'sI think, but we were still shouting louder for you Yanks to win that relay race. I was just reading here why it is probably going to be regarded as the greatest relay race in history, and imo it should be. :

Phelps on course after greatest relay race in history

"We will smash them up!" France's Alain Bernard boasted on Sunday after the heats of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay.

He had reason to be confident as he didn't even have to don his suit for the heats after substitute Boris Steimetz had taken care of his responsibilities in a time of 49.83 seconds.

When you consider world-record holder Bernard can go two seconds faster from a flat start, everybody knew the French had a three-second drop in the bag, putting them on course for a world record by at least two seconds.

So, after seeing the performance of the French, America's Michael Phelps must have been worried about the chance of winning eight gold medals slipping away.

We have learnt to have confidence in all the victories under his control but the relays still remain vulnerable. Would his team-mates keep his dream alive?

In traditional fashion Phelps led off in the final, swimming the first leg in a time of 47.51 seconds, only 1/100th of a second off the Frenchman's world best.

However Australia's Eamon Sullivan showed his sprinting class by breaking the world record for the 100m free in a time of 47.24 to put them in front at the first change, with America diving in second and the French following closely behind in third.

The lead went to the Americans on the second leg with Garrett Weber-Gale holding off the charge from France's Fabien Gilot to keep the USA head by half a second at the half way stage.

But then Frederick Bousquet, a well-renowned relay swimmer, took a whole second out of Cullen Jones to hand a healthy lead of a couple of metres to fastest man in the world this year for the final leg!

It was obvious to all in the press tribune that there was no way 32-year-old Jason Lezak from the US could catch Bernard on this last stretch.

Phelps' dream looked dead. But coming down the second length Jason Lezak appeared to surf the bow wave Bernard was producing and with five metres to go drew level. It was a blanket finish but the board read 3.08.24 to the Americans followed by 3.08.32 to the French.

For a number of reasons this was possibly the greatest relay race in history. The world record had gone by four seconds on the most prestigious relay event on the aquatic program.

The world record for the blue riband event had switched from Bernard to Australia's Sullivan. Phelps' dream of eight medals was still alive.

Jones had become the second black man in history to win an Olympic gold medal in the pool."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/olympics/2008/08/phelps_on_course_after_greates.html

[nthfinity]

yeah, I watched the women's "upset" when you Brits took down our own girl... she was so far ahead... it seemed impossible. But, that last 30 meters were too much.

But yeah, the 4x100 was incredible.... the article fails to say that Jason Lezak's split was 46.0 seconds.... incredible.

[Jabba]

Yeh it doesnt seem like its going too well for the "Hoff", she has missed out on what 2 or 3 golds now that she was supposed to get? Fair play to her always putting on a brave face though at the medal ceremony, I hope she bags one soon and I am sure it will come for her in the relays if nowhere else.

[nthfinity]

haha

Phelps cruises in a new "Olympic" record in a heat for the 200 m Butterfly

[Jabba]

haha

Phelps cruises in a new "Olympic" record in a heat for the 200 m Butterfly

Yeh and to think thats on the same day after the relay, whats he going to do in the final I wonder?

[Mattk]

Phelps is a machine; he's just unbeatable. I saw both the relay and the Hoff's silver in the Unibar during lunchtime yesterday, where all the American study abroad students had camped out in front of the big screen.

The 4x100 freestyle was simply amazing. Around four or five teams went faster than the old world record. Fantastic stuff.

[Jabba]

Three down and five to go :-D

[nthfinity]

Three down and five to go :-D

he said today (last night china time?) I wonder how he'll be after the 800 m swim! We're all pulling for him!

the olympic coverage has been sidestepped by the local media because Kwame is back in court today LOL

[Jabba]

he said today (last night china time?) I wonder how he'll be after the 800 m swim! We're all pulling for him!

the olympic coverage has been sidestepped by the local media because Kwame is back in court today LOL

Yeh tonight (UK time) will be a real tester for him, with the 200M fly final and another relay.

I also managed to get the NBCHD coverage which was every bit as good as the BBCHD version so we get to enjoy it twice now. Any excuse to watch that 4 x 100M freestyle relay though of course :thumbup:

[zeus_2011]

Phelps is a true legend, deserves to break the record he seeks!!

With ya all the way!

[nthfinity]

he said today (last night china time?) I wonder how he'll be after the 800 m swim! We're all pulling for him!

the olympic coverage has been sidestepped by the local media because Kwame is back in court today LOL
meant to say "he said he was tired today" .... looking forward to his events tonight :)

[Jabba]

I am still trying to get the HD videos for the Men's 200 fly and Men's 4x200 free, but I am sure we all know by now, that its 5 down and 3 to go :-D

[nthfinity]

I am still trying to get the HD videos for the Men's 200 fly and Men's 4x200 free, but I am sure we all know by now, that its 5 down and 3 to go :-D

yeah. ... I can't get away from the news about it LOL. I was unable to watch "live" since I was in Detroit last night til well after the event.

[Jabba]

yeah. ... I can't get away from the news about it LOL. I was unable to watch "live" since I was in Detroit last night til well after the event.

First one is up :-)

[Jabba]

5 down and 3 to go :-D

[nthfinity]

I thought for sure by 5 he'd start showing some amount of tiring. Amazing.

Thanks Jab :D

[Jabba]

From the heats that I saw today, Ian Crocker doesnt look like he will be the threat to Phelps in the 100m fly that some people were saying that he would be....then again...he could be just holding back for the final I guess...

[yg60m]

honestly, without wanted to sound like a pain in the ass I wonder how he can physically do 8 contest (1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and final )

[nthfinity]

honestly, without wanted to sound like a pain in the ass I wonder how he can physically do 8 contest (1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and final )

not to mention, I think he is competing in 17 specific swims leading to the 8 individual events ;)

He says himself, all he does is eat, swim, and sleep.

[Jabba]

six down and two to go :-D

[nthfinity]

WOW, another AMAZINGLY close race! .01 of a second, and Phelps just powered out of the last 30 meters....


hmm.... watching the video, Phelps got an stroke.... looks like he lost from above, and won from below.... too close to even call! It's almost a double gold here.... Wow!

[Jabba]

WOW, another AMAZINGLY close race! .01 of a second, and Phelps just powered out of the last 30 meters....


hmm.... watching the video, Phelps got an stroke.... looks like he lost from above, and won from below.... too close to even call! It's almost a double gold here.... Wow!

Yep, they dont come much closer than that.

Seven down and one to go :-D

[DeMoN]

will get these later on thanks jabba

[5vz-fe]

He got it!! 8TH!

Completely Unreal.

[Jabba]

He got it!! 8TH!

Completely Unreal.

Yep :-D

Closer than I thought it would be though :ohmy:

[5vz-fe]

Should have put my money on him LOL, would have won a fortune.

[Jabba]

Last video is up.

Roll on London 2012 :-D