Allon Sinai's Beijing Diary: Is he really from this planet?

Phelps' remarkable success and the manner in which he achieved it gave anybody watching a real thrill.

By ALLON SINAI. THE JERUSALEM POST, BEIJING
phelps winner 224 88 (photo credit: AP)
phelps winner 224 88
(photo credit: AP)
Having watched Michael Phelps both on TV and first hand during these Olympics I can tell you that the cameras don't do him any justice. As amazing as his swimming seems on television, it's nothing short of astounding when seen with one's own eyes. While on the screen you usually get to see the race from a moving camera, in the Water Cube itself you can truly appreciate the speed at which the American moves due to your fixed position. Phelps cuts through the water like scissors through paper, seemingly unaffected by the resistance in the pool, which should slow him down far more than it actually does. Using his hands like propellers and imitating a dolphin with his legs while submerged, the 23-year-old has seemingly discovered the perfect technique for mortals to travel through water. But after all, are we really sure he is indeed a mortal? As Russian relay swimmer Alexander Sukorukov put it: "He's just a normal person, although he may be from a different planet." And even Mark Spitz, the only person who might still be mentioned in the same breath as Phelps, had to use planetary bodies to define his countryman. When asked what it would be like to have his record equaled, Spitz replied: "It would be like the second man on the moon." And if he beats it? "First man on Mars," said the greatest Jewish Olympian of all-time. Human or not, it really makes no difference. Phelps' remarkable success and the manner in which he achieved it gave anybody watching a real thrill. Every sports fan on earth, whether seeing Phelps in the flesh or on TV, should feel truly privileged to have had the opportunity to witness the greatest Olympic sportsman in history.