"Bob Bowman, we had some fun huh!" - Michael Phelps reacts to being ranked No. 1 in ESPN's top 100 athletes of 21st century

The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, expressed gratitude to his coach, Bob Bowman, after being named number one in the top 100 athletes of the century by ESPN recently.

Phelps was a force to reckon with during his competitive days; he amassed 23 golds, three silvers, and two bronzes in his five appearances at the Olympic Games. Besides that, the Baltimore Bullet has secured a record 34 World Championship medals (27 gold, six silver, and a bronze) in his swimming career. His dominance was so pronounced back in the days that at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he participated in eight events and clinched gold in each.

Even after eight years of his retirement, Phelps still holds four swimming world records in the 400m individual medley, the 4x100m freestyle relay, the 4x100m medley relay, and the 4x200m freestyle relay. He also dedicates his time to assisting his mentor and coach, Bob Bowman, in training future swimming stars.

Phelps' achievements contributed to his ranking on ESPN's top 100 professional athletes list since 2000. He was declared the number one athlete on the list, leaving behind legendary names such as Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, Usain Bolt, Jon Jones, and numerous others.

Following the announcement, Michael Phelps shared Swimming World Magazine's coverage on his Instagram stories and gave a shoutout to Bob Bowman, who coached Phelps throughout his career. He wrote:

"Thx @coach_bowman!! We had some fun huh."

Michael Phelps' Instagram Story

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When Michael Phelps and his coach Bob Bowman were inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame

Olympics - Previews - Day -2 (Source: GETTY)

Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman's association dates back to the swimmer's childhood days, when he met Bowman in Baltimore and became his coach at the age of eleven. The athlete-coach duo worked for 20 years together and achieved legendary swimming success.

For their contribution to global swimming, Phelps and Bowman were inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in March this year. The Michael Phelps Foundation congratulated the duo in an Instagram post, writing:

"Congratulations to @m_phelps00 and @coach_bowman on your inductions into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. What you have done in the pool has been nothing short of extraordinary!"

"Our team is thankful that your legacy goes beyond the swimming pool and has impacted hundreds of thousands of lives through our important work at the Foundation."

Coach Bowman guided Phelps to five world titles and 23 Olympic gold medals during his tenure with the Baltimore native.