Salon.com > Beth Harris

Phelps gets started on the rest of his life

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 19:33:07 +0000

LONDON (AP) — On the first day of the rest of his life, Michael Phelps found old habits are hard to break.

He popped out of bed around 6 in the morning Sunday, as if it were another normal training session.

"I wish I could sleep a little longer," Phelps said. "I've been used to getting up early the last 20 years. We're going to work on getting on a little different schedule."

Phelps can start sleeping later now. Heck, he can do whatever he wants. At 27, he ended his swimming career in London as the most decorated Olympian ever with 18 golds — twice as many as anyone else — and 22 medals overall. The only thing left to do is sign the retirement papers, which will remove him from the list of athletes who must undergo regular doping tests.

"I have not officially retired yet," Phelps told The Associated Press, "but very soon I will be signing those papers and it will be official."

Phelps isn't sure what he'll do next. There will definitely be plenty of traveling. Only this time he'll see more than just the bottom of pools and the inside of hotel rooms. He wants to work on his golf game — "the proper way, not just going out there taking a couple of hacks at a little white ball." He might even take a trip to the beach, which was something he never wanted to do when he was swimming competitively.

‘Missile Missy’ is tearing up Olympic pool

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:11:18 +0000

LONDON (AP) — Life just keeps on getting bigger and better for Missy Franklin, the teenage swimming sensation whose fame is quickly spreading beyond the Olympic pool.

Even Bieber's a believer.

The 17-year-old girl with the can't-miss smile and catchy "Missile Missy" nickname is cheerily living up to the outsized expectations that were heaped on her going into her first Olympics.

Franklin won a gold medal — even before Michael Phelps — in the 100-meter backstroke Monday after having opened her games with a relay bronze.

And a certain teen idol took notice.

"Heard (at)FranklinMissy is a fan of mine," singer Justin Bieber tweeted Tuesday. "Now I'm a fan of hers too! CONGRATS on winning GOLD! (Hashtag)muchlove."

"I just died," Franklin tweeted in response. "Thank you!"

She's still got five more events to go, giving her plenty of chances to leave London as America's big star with Phelps heading into retirement. His underwhelming performances so far and Ryan Lochte's failure in his last two events have swung the spotlight squarely on Franklin.

She has a shot at another medal in the 200 freestyle on Tuesday night. She claimed the last spot in the eight-woman final just 14 minutes before she won the first gold medal of what promises to be a stellar career.

Phelps is slowest qualifier for 400 IM final

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 09:43:54 +0000

LONDON (AP) — Michael Phelps barely qualified in the 400-meter individual medley on the opening day of Olympic swimming Saturday, squeaking into the final by seven-hundredths of a second.

"That one didn't feel too good," he said.

The two-time defending Olympic champion won his heat in 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds with a time that was well off his world record of 4:03.84 set four years ago in Beijing, when Phelps won a record eight gold medals.

But it was only good enough to secure the last spot in the evening final, when Phelps will swim in Lane 1 instead of the middle of the pool.

"The only thing that matters is just getting a spot in," he said. "You can't win the gold medal from the morning."

Kosuke Hagino of Japan led the way in 4:10.01. Chad le Clos of South Africa was second at 4:12.24, and Ryan Lochte of the United States advanced in third at 4:12.35.

Clippers beat Hornets 107-98 for 2nd straight win

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:37:01 +0000

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Paul had 33 points and 13 assists, Randy Foye hit three of his six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied for a 107-98 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night to move within a half-game of the Lakers for the Pacific Division lead and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

Foye scored 24 points, and Blake Griffin had 21 points and 15 rebounds in the Clippers' 40th victory — their most since the 2006-07 team won that many. Paul made 17 of 19 free throws, while Griffin hit 7 of 9.

Eric Gordon scored 17 points and Al-Farouq Aminu added 14 against their former team. They were part of the trade that sent Paul to the Clippers before the season.

Gordon was playing against his former team for the first time, having missed most of the season after right knee surgery.

Jason Smith added 13 points while getting booed whenever he scored by Clippers fans still angry over his flagrant foul on Griffin last month. The two were facing each other for the first time since Smith was ejected and suspended two games.

Mo Williams was called for a flagrant 1 foul on Gordon in the second quarter of a game bogged down by 58 fouls between the teams.

Kentucky Derby odds favor Lookin at Lucky

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Lookin At Lucky was made the early 3-1 favorite for the Kentucky Derby and Sidney's Candy was the second choice Wednesday in a full field of 20 horses. Neither, however, drew the most favorable post position for Saturday's race.

Trained by three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert and ridden by Garrett Gomez, Lookin At Lucky drew the No. 1 post -- generally considered a disadvantage because horses charging into the first turn of the 1 1-4 mile track tend to jam the inside.

Sidney's Candy, 5-1, didn't fare much better, drawing the outside No. 20 post -- making for the widest of all trips around Churchill Downs.

Twelve horses have won from the No. 1 post; the last was Ferdinand in 1986. Only two winners have come from No. 20, with Big Brown doing so two years ago.

Devil May Care is a 10-1 co-third favorite as she attempts to become the fourth filly to win the Derby. The last filly to run in the Derby, Eight Belles, finished second two years ago, but broke down after crossing the finish line and had to be euthanized.

Mike Pegram, co-owner of Lookin At Lucky, still feels, well, pretty lucky.

"If there's a horse that can overcome that spot, it's Lucky," he said. "I don't want to sound overconfident, but we got the best jockey in the country and he knows what his responsibilities are."