"I hated standing on that third-place podium"- When Michael Phelps opened up about how losing top spot motivated Team USA at Olympics

Michael Phelps once explained how losing a top podium position motivated the American team to clinch victory in other events at the same Olympics. After winning his first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps competed in the 4x100m freestyle event alongside Ian Crocker, Neil Walker, and Jason Lezak.

Although the team participated in the competition as the fan favorite, it fell short of executing a winning performance. It cited multiple challenges, including Crocker's last-minute health issue. The team settled in third place with 3:14.62 seconds. Team USA was surpassed by the South African and Dutch teams, who posted 3:13.17 and 3:14.36, respectively.

In his candid memoir 'Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface,' originally published in 2004, the legendary swimmer reflected on the loss, stating he hated standing in third place on the podium, not because of the position, but because he was aware of his team's capability.

"I hated standing on that third-place podium. Hated it, hated it. It wasn’t the fact that we finished third that bothered us, but the fact that we could have done much better."

Following the loss at the same Olympics, he participated in the 4x200m freestyle event and clinched first place by defeating the Australian and Italian squads.

When Michael Phelps opened up on his 'biggest beat down'

Michael Phelps during the AT&T Winter National Championships in Washington. (Photo by Getty Images)

Michael Phelps once opened up on the biggest beatdown he suffered against Ian Crocker during the 2005 World Championships in Montreal in the 100m butterfly event. Crocker surpassed Phelps in the last 40m of the race by an entire body length, registering a world record of 50.40 seconds, whereas Phelps posted 51.65 seconds.

Reflecting on the race, Phelps said (via sportlane.com in 2021):

"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."

Michael Phelps took his revenge at the 2007 World Championships by defeating Crocker in the same event with a 00.05 lead.