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Michael Phelps once opened up about the important lesson he learned after he missed out on registering a world record by a thread-thin margin. Phelps competed at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, where he collected four gold and two silver medals.
He vied against an elite lineup in the 200m butterfly race and earned a spot in the final after posting a world record of 1:53.93 in the semifinal round. In his memoir, 'Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface,' originally published in 2004, the former swimmer stated that he was successful in achieving the feat as he followed the exact race plan given by his coach Bob Bowman.
Phelps also dominated the finals by defeating Takashi Yamamoto and Tom Malchow. However, he missed posting a world record in the final round as he fell short by only 0.42 seconds of his semifinal time. In his book, the legendary swimmer then admitted to having learned an important lesson of always following the coach's plan.
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"The best way to swim the 200 fly, we figured, was to go out fast and hold on. I did exactly what we talked about and broke the world record in the semis, lowering it to 1:53.93. I didn’t quite keep to the gameplan in the final, when I trailed Ukraine’s Denis Sylant’yev at the first two walls, but I took over the lead with 80 meters to go and won the race by over a second."
He added:
"I came back faster than I had ever done (59.08 over the last 100 meters) in that event. It was a lesson learned to listen to your coach because he knows what he’s talking about."
Michael Phelps' longtime coach Bob Bowman pens birthday wish for the swimmer
As Michael Phelps celebrated his 40th birthday on June 30, 2025, his longtime coach Bob Bowman penned a sweet message for the former swimmer. He expressed his gratitude towards Phelps for impacting his life.
"On May 7, 1997, we started a journey together that has defined my life professionally and personally. It’s so rare that one person can impact the world, their sport and countless individual lives. There’s not a thing in my life that you haven’t made better by sharing yours with me."
Bowman added:
"I’m so grateful for our swimming time together, which transformed Olympic sport and what it means to be excellent. The time after has been a blessing that I could have never imagined and has changed my life in so many positive ways. Happy Birthday MP! Love you! ❤️"
Under Coach Bowman's guidance, Michael Phelps posted 39 world records.
