Synopsis "Demythologizing Michael Phelps (in English)"
Demythologizing Michael Phelps is the first seriously critical biography of the world's most decorated Olympic athlete. It establishes the unique favoritism created for Phelps by the International Olympic Committee, swimming officials, selection committees, commercial sponsors, network broadcasters and host governments that has created the illusion of surpassing the standard set by Mark Spitz at Munich in 1972. The case is methodical, based on a detailed examination of the revisions to the daily schedule of events, the rest intervals between events, the margin of victory over other competitors. After all is examined and compared, Spitz tops Phelps. Spitz's standard of all golds and all world records was not exceeded by Phelps, who failed to establish a world record the 100 meter butterfly. Unprecedented exemptions were extended to Phelps, who was allowed to swim an events for which he did not qualify, and positioned on relays so that he would never need to race from behind. More than anything, this book is a celebration of swimmers who did compete fairly and behave decently, win or lose, the athletes who set standards of sportsmanship that Phelps never managed to understand, let alone exhibit. As American University coach emeritus Joe Rogers put is, "Before reading this book, I never saw clearly what Dave Hoof makes unavoidable. A mythology was created around Michael Phelps that examination of the facts doesn't support. For anyone interested in sports and sportsmanship, this is a must-read book."
