MICHAEL PHELPS sensationally won his TWENTY-SECOND Olympic gold medal in the 200m individual medley final on Thursday night.
It was the a fourth win of Rio 2016 for the ‘Flying Fish’ – and the incredible haul broke a 2,168-year-old Games record held by Leonidas of Rhodes.
Fans the world-wide have been wondering what it is that has given the American the edge over his rivals since his first gold in Athens 2004.
Clearly, you do not become the most decorated Olympian of all time without the steadfast dedication and steely determination of a champion. And maybe a little bit of ‘cupping’.
A 10,000 calorie-a-day diet is also sure to supply him with the raw energy needed to put in the hour upon hour of repetitive training.
But the fact that Phelps, 31, is an anatomical freak of nature surely cannot do his chances any harm.
He is, quite simply, made to be in the water.
And SunSport has found out why…
Wingspan
THE average human being’s height is usually more-or-less equal to the distance between the tips of their fingers with outstretched arms.
But Phelps’ wingspan is disproportionately large.
The US hero can reach a whole three inches longer than his height – which helped him beat Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by a fingertip to claim 100m butterfly gold in Beijing 2008.
Huge palms and feet
PHELPS propels himself through the water with bucket-like hands and feet.
The swimming great’s enormous palms help him paddling through water more quickly and efficiently than rivals.
While massive size 14 feet act like a seal’s flippers as he glides through the pool.
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Upper body
PHELPS boasts a freakishly long torso – matched with shorter-than-expected legs.
That means he has the perfect proportions for swimming.
The 6ft 4in star has the upper body of man FOUR INCHES taller.
This enables him to sit high in the water – causing less drag – and use his reach to power past competitors.
It also helps Phelps cut an intimidating figure in the changing room before the race.
Double-joints
A LOT of top swimmers have double-jointed knees and elbows – but none have ankles like Phelps.
The American’s ankles bend 15 degrees for than most swimmers, turning his feet into flippers.
And that helps Phelps generate more power than his rivals with his incredible dolphin kick.
A reported double-jointed chest allows him to kick all the way from the torso, giving him the edge.
Lactic acid
WHEN humans perform any physical activity, they produce lactic acid.
But Phelps is not normal human being.
Lactic acid causes fatigue and slows down muscle contraction – and the only way around it is rest.
However, it has been scientifically proven that Phelps’ body produced just a HALF of the usual amount.
And that means the gold-medal machine is ready to go again and again.
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