第五单元第1篇第五单元第1篇.doc

第五单元第1篇 Michael Phelps Eyes Unprecedented 8 Olympic Gold Medals Many say Michael Phelps’ quest is a mission impossible. But no other swimmer is coming into the Beijing Olympics with the conditioning and records that Phelps possesses.Phelps secured his eight-race Olympic schedule by winning the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. swimming trials in Omaha, Nebraska. To surpass Mark Spitz, Phelps says he has to overcome just one competitor in Beijing-himself.“You never know what can happen,” said Phelps. “The only person I can worry about is myself. And, if I can prepare myself the best way that I can, then that is really all I can ask. If I go in there and I do a best time and still get beat, that is all I can ask for. So, you know, I am trying to prepare myself the best way I can. And just go out there and swim fast.”When he was 15, Phelps got his first taste of international competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he became the youngest U.S. male Olympian swimmer since 1932.In 2001, Michael Phelps began his assault on the record books, becoming the youngest swimmer to break a world record in winning the 200-meter butterfly in 1 minute 54.92 seconds (1:54.92) at the national championships. Four months later in Japan, he lowered the mark at the World Championships by 34-100ths of one second (1:54.58). Phelps was named the 2001 USA Swimmer of the Year.The two-time Olympian became the first athlete ever to win eight medals total at a non-boycotted Olympic Games, collecting six gold and two silvers in 2004 in Athens. Phelps set four individual world records and won seven gold medals at the 2007 World Championships to become the winningest athlete in World Championship history.Phelps says his success and experience has prepared him well for Beijing.“Right now, I am more relaxed than I was in 2004 going into the Olympics. You know, after going through everything I had been through in the last four years, it helped me prepare a little bit better for these games