2008 Olympics: Lucky Eight for Phelps

Eight is a lucky number for the Chinese and that is why the Olympics started on 08/08/08 at 8:08 p.m. Phelps was hoping that eight would be his luckiest number too. Having dominated swimming for the last five years, he still knew that even if he swam to the best of his ability he would likely still need some luck to break the record of eight gold medals.

The World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 swam up to his standards while ending up with the best of luck in two close races to break the record of eight gold medals and top his 2004 Athens performance of six gold medals and two bronze medals at the Athens Olympics.

The first bit of luck came early when Phelps's American relay team made a miraculous comeback to beat their French nemesis by eight hundredths of a second in the 4 X 100 meter relay race. That gave Phelps his second of eight Gold medals.

Phelps was able to avoid an even closer call in his the 100 meter butterfly final. He was able to snatch a victory out of the jaws of defeat as he made a fast and powerful final half stroke to beat the lunging Serbian, Milorad Cavic by one hundredths of a second.

Phelps 100 meter butterfly time of 50.58 was an Olympic record. It was the only final in which he did not set a world record (Phelps played down his abilities in non-final races, just making sure he advanced to subsequent rounds).

But in the 100 meter butterfly win, Phelps could take an extra sigh of relief. Had he not beat fellow American, Ian Crocker he would be left off the 4 X 200 meter relay team and not have a chance to tie Spitz's record (had he not done it in the 100 meter butterfly). Cocker held the 100 meter butterfly world record with a smashing time of 49.07.


All 2008 Olympics Shots Heard Coverage

2008 Olympics: Opening Ceremony goes well and with a hitch
2008 Olympics: The Amazing Race
2008 Olympics: The Amazing Finish
2008 Olympics: NBC's dirty pool
2008 Olympics: Lucky Eight for Phelps
2008 Olympics: Down goes Franco! Down goes Franco!
2008 Olympics: Usain Bolt - A bolt of lightning or steroids in a syringe?
2008 Olympics: Final Thoughts