"Biggest beat down I've ever taken in my life" - When Michael Phelps opened up about his toughest race against fellow American Ian Crocker

Michael Phelps once opened up about his most difficult race which was against his fellow American Ian Crocker. Phelps and Crocker competed against each other on multiple instances in the 100m butterfly, including the 2004 Athens Games, the 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007 World Championships.

Phelps once reflected on their 2005 World Championships faceoff, stating it as his biggest beatdown. Despite breaking multiple world records Phelps was defeated by Crocker in the 100m butterfly by a wide margin. Crocker surpassed Phelps to touch the wall by an entire body length in the last 40m of the race, registering a new world record. Looking back at the challenging moment during an interview with sportlane.com in 2021, Phelps defined the toughest defeat as frustrating.

"Ian Crocker gave me one of the biggest beatdowns that I probably ever took in 05 ad on," Phelps said. "Back-to-back days in 2003-2004, I came back and won the gold medal in the 200 fly and the 100 fly by 4100 of a second in 2005 World Championships, he literally beat me by a body length in 40 meters. In the last 40 meters of the race, and I was second, and that was probably to this date, the biggest beat down I've ever taken in my life, and that frustrated me to no other."

Two years later, Phelps redeemed his victory in the event over Crocker at the 2007 World Championships.

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Michael Phelps once opened up on his hard-earned victory against Chad le Clos

Swimming - Olympics: Day 4 - Source: Getty Michael Phelps at 2016 Rio Olympics. (Image by Getty)

Michael Phelps once reflected on the difficult victory he achieved against Chad le Clos in the 200m butterfly event at the 2016 Olympics. Le Clos executed the fastest start of the lineup and led the event until Phelps surpassed him and was successful in maintaining the lead despite breathtaking competitiveness. Phelps won his marquee event by clocking 1:53.36.

“There wasn’t a shot in hell I was losing that,” Phelps said. “I didn’t know I only won by 0.04 until the awards’ ceremony, but just seeing the No1 next to my name just one more time in the 200m fly, I couldn’t have scripted it any better.

“On the podium, I was going through the last 16 years,” he added. “That event was my bread and butter and this was the last time I will ever swim it. Having that come to an end is crazy to think about.” (via theguardian.com)

Throughout his unparalleled Olympic career, Michael Phelps earned three gold medals in the 200m butterfly in 2004, 2008, and 2016 Games.