"Nobody has done this for nine years" - When Michael Phelps opened up on the moment a journalist doubted his ability to break records

Michael Phelps once opened up about the moment when a journalist doubted his ability to break the world record in the 200m individual medley. Before Phelps shattered the world record in the event, it was held by Jani Sievinen.

The Finnish swimmer had registered the record by clocking a stunning 1:58.16 at the 1994 World Championships in Rome, Italy. The record stood unbroken for a long time.

During a press conference ahead of the 2003 Santa Clara Invitational, a Finnish journalist doubted and questioned Phelps whether the record was difficult to break, as no swimmer had been able to post a time even close for nine years. He reflected on the moment in his memoir, 'Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface.'

"A Finnish journalist asked if I really thought I could break the world record in the 200 IM (1:58.16) held since 1994 by his countryman Jani Sievinen. I told him what I usually say, that anything is possible."

Phelps responded humbly, stating that anything was possible, but chose to hold his thoughts on whether he could or could not break the record. He wrote:

"I say that because I never want to assume I’ll do something before I actually do it and because I never want to count anything out. 'Yes, but then maybe you think it is too difficult,' he said. 'Nobody has done this for nine years, so maybe it will not happen. Why do you think you can do it?' I hadn’t said that I could, but I wasn’t ready to say that I couldn’t."

Michael Phelps went on to break the record for the first time at the 2003 Santa Clara Invitational after clocking an impressive 1:57.94. The world record in the event is now held by Ryan Lochte, who clocked 1:54.00 at the 2011 World Championships.

When Michael Phelps reflected on the mistake that cost him the world record

Michael Phelps during the Olympic Games in Brazil. (Photo by Getty Images)

Michael Phelps competed in the 200m butterfly race at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona and earned a spot in the final. He posted a world record of 1:53.93 in the semifinal round by following the game plan suggested by his coach, Bob Bowman.

However, Phelps failed to follow the plan suggested by his coach in the final and fell short by only 0.42 seconds of his semifinal time, hence missing a new world record. He spoke about the mistake in his memoir, 'Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface,' and wrote:

"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."

Phelps collected four Olympic medals in the 200m butterfly event throughout his career.