Sports
Beijing 2008
Best even with his eyes closed
The New York Times
SMILE OF A LEGEND: US swimming icon Michael Phelps punches the air after winning the men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay, his fifth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a record eleventh in the Games history, at the National Aquatics Centre yesterday. Photo: AFPMichael Phelps couldn't see as he swam the last 75 meters of the men's 200-meter butterfly on Wednesday, because his goggles came loose at the start. And though Phelps' underwater kick may resemble a dolphin's, there is no evidence that he has porpoise-like sonar abilities, making his gold-record performance even more remarkable.“I dove in and they filled right up with water,” Phelps said after he and his teammates won another gold and set another world record in the 4×200m freestyle relay Wednesday. “It got worse and worse through the race.”But few at the water cube may have realized there was anything wrong: Phelps was in second at the first turn, but he performed even better as his visibility got worse. He was in first, ahead of world-record pace, at 100 meters and 150 meters, finishing .67 seconds ahead of the silver medalist Laszlo Cseh (who must be sick of coming in second to Phelps). Phelps broke his own world record by .06 seconds.“Going into the 150 wall and the finish, I couldn't see the wall,” Phelps said. “I was just hoping that I was winning and hoping I could get my hand on the wall first.”After he touched, Phelps ripped his goggles off quicker than he usually does, desperate to look back at the clock and see how he did.“I was kind of upset it happened,” he said. “But I did a best time and I was able to win the gold so I was happy.”If Phelps is the fastest in the pool with only four of his five senses, what chance do mere mortals have against him?
One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka's drainage capability. PHOTO: STAR
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Beijing 2008
Best even with his eyes closed
The New York Times
SMILE OF A LEGEND: US swimming icon Michael Phelps punches the air after winning the men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay, his fifth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a record eleventh in the Games history, at the National Aquatics Centre yesterday. Photo: AFPMichael Phelps couldn't see as he swam the last 75 meters of the men's 200-meter butterfly on Wednesday, because his goggles came loose at the start. And though Phelps' underwater kick may resemble a dolphin's, there is no evidence that he has porpoise-like sonar abilities, making his gold-record performance even more remarkable.“I dove in and they filled right up with water,” Phelps said after he and his teammates won another gold and set another world record in the 4×200m freestyle relay Wednesday. “It got worse and worse through the race.”But few at the water cube may have realized there was anything wrong: Phelps was in second at the first turn, but he performed even better as his visibility got worse. He was in first, ahead of world-record pace, at 100 meters and 150 meters, finishing .67 seconds ahead of the silver medalist Laszlo Cseh (who must be sick of coming in second to Phelps). Phelps broke his own world record by .06 seconds.“Going into the 150 wall and the finish, I couldn't see the wall,” Phelps said. “I was just hoping that I was winning and hoping I could get my hand on the wall first.”After he touched, Phelps ripped his goggles off quicker than he usually does, desperate to look back at the clock and see how he did.“I was kind of upset it happened,” he said. “But I did a best time and I was able to win the gold so I was happy.”If Phelps is the fastest in the pool with only four of his five senses, what chance do mere mortals have against him?
One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka's drainage capability. PHOTO: STAR
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