"That lit a fire under my butt" - When Michael Phelps opened up on how baseless claims motivated him to achieve greatness

Michael Phelps once opened up on how some baseless claims motivated him to achieve greatness. He reflected on the moment when the Australian team's former head coach, Don Talbot, drew unfair comparisons between the American swimmer and the Australian star Ian Thorpe.

Thorpe and Phelps locked horns against each other in multiple competitions, including the 2004 Olympics. They competed in the 200m freestyle event, which Thorpe dominated while Phelps followed him in third place. In his memoir, 'Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface,' published in 2004, the former swimmer reflected on the unfair claims by the Australian coach that suggested even though Phelps was a remarkable swimmer, he hadn't earned a fair comparison to Thorpe.

The statement did not sit well with Phelps, who labelled the comparison as "disrespectful" and stated that it motivated him even more to prove himself:

"I was furious. Done nothing yet? You mean winning a world championship and breaking a world record isn’t proving yourself? There are ways to say certain things and stick up for your own swimmers without being disrespectful to someone else. I wanted to show him otherwise. I had a job to do and I wanted to prove I could do it. That lit a fire under my butt for the rest of the summer."

Thorpe won nine Olympic medals throughout his career.

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Michael Phelps once opened up about a pressure-building moment during a press conference

Michael Phelps at the Golden Goggle Awards. (Source: Getty)

Michael Phelps once opened up on a pressure-building conversation he experienced during a press conference. He once decided to compete in six events at the Olympic Trials. In a press conference before the Trials, Phelps was repeatedly questioned about how many gold medals he would win. As the swimmer lost his control to nagging, he mentioned 15, although he was only aiming for one.

"'Michael, what will it take to win seven gold medals?' 'Well, I have to have the best meet of my career, but I’d be happy with one gold medal.''Michael, will people think you failed if you don’t win seven gold medals?'"

“I hope not. I’ve always dreamed of winning a gold medal …'Michael, just how many gold medals can you win?' Finally I was feeling punchy, as if I should lose control and tell a joke, something to break the tension. “'I guess I can win 15 gold medals if I want to'" (via Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface memoir)

Phelps won eight medals at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.