From Goggle Mishap to Gold Medal: How ‘What-If’ Training Transformed Phelps at the 2008 Olympics
Great athletes don’t just practice their sport daily; they take it up a notch by working on ‘what-if’ scenarios. For example, Michael Phelps’ coach, Bob Bowman, would throw unexpected challenges at him during training and even in less critical competitions to prepare for these ‘what-if’ situations.
Once, during an event, Bowman accidentally stepped on Phelps’ swimming goggles, cracking them just before a race. Phelps realized his goggles were damaged only after he dived into the pool, and they started filling with water.
But Phelps didn’t panic. He handled the situation calmly by counting his strokes. He and Bowman had practised this strategy during training, so he knew precisely how many strokes it took to complete a lap.
Stepping on goggles might sound unusual, but Bowman believed that athletes should be ready for any unexpected scenario that might arise in more crucial competitions.
Interestingly, this exact scenario occurred during one of Phelps’ most significant races — the 200-meter butterfly final at the 2008 Olympics.
In the middle of the race, Phelps’ goggles developed a leak, and they began to fill with water. He couldn’t see a thing, essentially swimming in the dark.
However, Phelps stayed calm, counting 21 strokes per lap. The outcome? He won the gold medal and broke a world record, sealing his place in history.
