Driven by a rare body, rarer will

The world's greatest Olympian, swimmer Michael Phelps has Mumbai talking too. Some say it's his unique physique while others can't stop praising his spirit. Speak Up asks the city's swimmers if India can ever create a phenomenon like Phelps 

A host of factors drive Phelps' genius
In order to win a medal in swimming at the Olympics you need to have the right combination of effort, costume and diet. Michael Phelps' strength lies in his start and turn. His costume is similar to a shark's skin, which reduces the resistance and his diet includes a lot of carbohydrates and proteins.

Daily, he practises for five hours in the water and two hours at the gym. For  Olympics, he has trained in a special swimming pool where the water is released into the pool at a constant rate. His performance in the pool, which includes resistance and strokes, is constantly measured. But only physical preparation is not enough; mental preparation is equally important. The sports psychologist working with Michael made him visualise his performance at the Olympics two years ago.

Compared to the wing span of Indian swimmers, Michael has an enormous advantage. Even his toes and palms are much bigger than those of Indian swimmers. Technique is very important but you need to have the talent to go with it. What has enabled Michael to perform so admirably in the pool is his mastery of the technique to reduce stroke resistance in water. Theoretically it may seem simple but to implement it in the pool is extremely difficult and most swimmers find it hard to master this technique. A proper balance of technique and the ability to swim fast in the pool is what matters the most.When you see Michael winning eight gold medals, there is one thing you mustn't overlook and that is the contribution of his coach and parents and many others.
Michael's mom knows a lot about his psychology and keeps a constant tab on his performance in the pool. There is a lot of talk around the Speedo swimsuit but I see no unfair advantage in wearing it. Michael will start training for the next Olympics three weeks from now. Instead of selecting a team of top swimmers four years ahead of the Olympics, we pick our squad barely a year before. You cannot aim for a win with this attitude.
-Anand Pardeshi. National level swimming coach for The Club, Club Millennium and CNM School 

Everything worked for him
Phelps is a great swimmer and his achievements are fantastic. There are many Olympic participants but few are lucky enough to receive the right training and have access to great facilities and infrastructure. I don't think he has a special technique of swimming but just the three attributes have taken him so far in his sport. Other swimmers participating in Olympics must have  undergone years of training, but still cannot match Phelps. There is a rare element of perfection in him. It is a very difficult task for India to create an athlete like him because we do not have good sports infrastructure, especially for swimmers. Also, Phelps has a great psychological edge over others.
—Milind Soman.  Former swimming champion

Such perfection is almost inhuman
Today, Olympians are trained like astronauts. The fitness standards that they have to maintain are unimaginably high. Their accomplishments are almost inhuman. The aggression that goes into the training puts a question mark on whether they will ever be able to sustain a normal life. Every Olympian goes through eight years of rigorous training. The kinds of goal that they are achieving are astonishing. There is tremendous pressure on every Olympian. You rarely get to see the spirit of sportsmanship these days because there is so much emphasis on competitiveness. Even the diet regime of training Olympians is rigid. All they dream, think and eat is about the sport. How do they survive after they retire?
 —Mickey Mehta. Swimming expert and health guru

He has a body built for aquatics
The biggest advantage Michael Phelps has is his physique. He has a great body: one could say it was made for swimming. He has extra long feet and arms. This gives  him longer reach. Even Ian Thorpe has huge arms and feet which helped him get to the top.  Athletes in the West, especially the US, get world-class facilities. I doubt if we will ever produce a swimmer like Phelps. Even if we do, we will go in with a height disadvantage. The LZR Speedo swimsuit is really good and even a milli-centimetre edge can create history.
—Savio D'silva. Former national level swimmer

Finally, the will to win matters most
Michael Phelps's hard work and determination are the reasons behind his historic wins. Everyone believes that his unique physiology has given him an unfair advantage. But that's not 100% true. He's acquired that body from swimming, therefore, his will to do something is what really matters here. His techniques are working for him. One cannot say that they are special techniques or not, the bottom-line is a win and he is winning. He is better than others and his medals are proof enough. India will only be able to get a champion in other sports if we ban cricket. A win always depends on an individual and not how he is built, what he wears or eats.  
—Abhijit Pimpalkhare. Swimming enthusiast

His diet and regime make him a winner
Phelps is a phenomenally gifted athlete, his grit and determination are beyond comparison. His success can also be attributed to his insane diet and his 2-metre wing span. Special tests have shown that his body develops far less lactic acid than other athletes and this leaves him less fatigued at the end of a gruelling swim. India does not have the infrastructure to create a Phelps. Training from a young age, intense discipline and cutting edge training technology can get us there. Everybody wears Speedo's special swimsuits but not everyone matches Phelps.
—Anand Iyer. Swimming enthusiast

Practice made the man perfect
Phelps' abnormal shoe size is the reason why he is breaking all records. His feet are like flippers they help him swim extra fast. It is nice to see him use his physical attributes to his advantage. He also has his own style which showcases his amazing hyper-flexibility. Nothing comes without practice. Phelps has been practising day and night for the Olympics and so he deserves the wins. I am sure that Indian swimmer Virdhawal Khade can reach the same level if he practises as much. The Speedo costume controversy does not mean anything because the swimsuit can only reduce the time taken by a few point seconds, no more.
—Aastad Irani. National level swimmer