It146;s all over for phelps

That figure 8212; 3:29.24 8212; will be soon forgotten. The number of gold medals won by Phelps at these Olympics 8212; eight 8212; will live forever. Immediately after which, his face contorted, his eyes narrow, Phelps punched the air in what looked like relieved pain. 8220;It8217;s been such an unbelievable roller coaster; it8217;s been such an unbelievable ride,8221; Phelps said. 8220;With so many people saying it couldn8217;t be done, all it took was a little imagination.8221;

8220;In my opinion, we8217;ll never see it again,8221; said Australian swimmer Grant Hackett.

It was, of course, a wonder that we ever saw it in the first place. Phelps entered the meet as a 23-year-old dork with an unsettling Fu Manchu who was on the verge of either major history or giant collapse. In his career, after every big stroke forward, it seemed he would suffer a belly flop. He won six gold medals in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. But a couple of months later, he was arrested for drunk driving. Three years later, he won seven gold medals and set five world records at in Melbourne worlds. But that winter, the superbly coordinated athlete inexplicably stumbled and broke his wrist. 8220;It8217;s over,8221; he told his coach, Bob Bowman, at the time. 8220;I8217;m finished.8221;

But as the world has seen since he arrived in Beijing last week, he is never finished.

His first gold came with a beautiful swim and a botched song. He won the 400-metre individual medley by nearly three seconds, after which, during the medal ceremony, the taped US national anthem stopped mid-lyric. Some athletes would have been offended. Phelps just stood on the podium and laughed. He knew he would be hearing that song again.

His second gold came with a save. He was part of a 400-metre freestyle relay team that survived only when Lezak mounted a last-lap comeback to win by a blink. His third was a victory from start to finish in the 200-metre freestyle. Just when Phelps was looking immortal, his fourth gold medal showed he was human. He won the 200-metre butterfly blind, after water filled his goggles for the last two laps. Less than hour later, he won his fifth in the 800 freestyle relay. His sixth gold came uneventfully in the 200-metre individual medley.

Then, saving his best for nearly last, Phelps8217;s seventh gold medal came with a miracle. Trailing Serbia8217;s Milorad Cavic in the final meters of the 100-metre butterfly, Phelps caught him with several giant strokes and beat him to the wall by the smallest record margin in the sport.

8220;I8217;m at a loss for words,8221; Phelps said at the time. By now, we all are.