"What I did wasn't rocket science"- When Michael Phelps credited sacrifices and extra days of training for dominance over competitors

Michael Phelps once reflected on the sacrifices he made that set him apart from his competitors. The American swimmer had a remarkable career, retiring as the most decorated Olympian with 23 gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, a feat that still remains unmatched.

Although Phelps made his Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games as a 15-year-old, narrowly missing a podium finish in the 200m butterfly, he didn’t let the disappointment hold him back. Instead of taking time off like many athletes, he showed his commitment by returning to the pool the very next day, as revealed in his interview with author Tony Robbins in 2020.

He also previously spoke about his intense commitment to the sport during a 2017 interaction with Dubai Eye Sport, where he emphasized that his success wasn’t the result of a secret formula but rather because of simple hard work, dedication, and consistency. On being asked if he was doing anything different, Michael Phelps responded (2:54 onwards):

“Honestly, you know what I did wasn't rocket science. It's, you know, for me as a kid, I had dreams bigger than anybody else could ever dream, and I wanted to be the greatest. I wanted to be the best, and, you know, I think it's always wanted to be the first Michael Phelps because I wanted to do things differently than everybody else.”

He added getting an extra ‘52 days’ as he wasn’t taking any off in between:

“So for me, when I went through a span of five or six years where I didn't miss a single day of training, 365 days a year, that made me different. I got 52 extra days each year than anybody else had, and in the sport of swimming, if you miss one day, it takes you two days to get back to where you were.”

While other swimmers took Sundays as an off day, he continued training, which eventually gained him an extra day of progress each week.

Michael Phelps reflects on staying connected to swimming post-retirement

Michael Phelps and family at Paris Olympics (Photo by Karwai Tang/Getty Images)

Michael Phelps reflected on whether he has ever distanced himself from the sport after retiring from competitive swimming in 2016. During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (ESPN) in July 2024, he clarified that he has never been truly separated from the sport, sharing instances of events he has attended despite being retired, commenting (4:55 onwards):

“There was never separation. You know when I'm able to come to meets, I try to come to meets and I took my family, my wife and I went to World Championships last year. I went to Olympic trials this year. I covered some I'll be covering some with NBC over in Paris. So, for me, I enjoy being around the sport. This is a sport that I'm still passionate about.”

The 39-year-old further shared his desire to see the sport continue to grow in the United States. Notably, Phelps was in attendance at the Paris Olympics with his family and also served as a commentator at the Aquatic Centre of the quadrennial games.

In addition to watching the swimming events, Phelps attended the women’s gymnastics team final to cheer on the team that later won gold and the men’s individual golf event.