(USA TODAY Sports Images)
Could Michael Phelps tarnish his athletic legacy if his return to competitive swimming is unsuccessful?
Not a chance.
Even if Phelps fails in his comeback to the pool, nothing he does in the future can take away from what’s he done in the past. How would an unsuccessful comeback take away the 18 gold medals he won in his four Olympics? It can’t negate all those world records or erase the memories of that thrilling 100 butterfly race from Beijing. A failed comeback would be a short chapter at the end of record-breaking career. That’s it.
He’s playing with house money.
We hold onto the romantic notion that walking away on top is more noble than leaving after your prime. Why? How does Michael Jordan playing for the Wizards affect what he did with the Bulls? (Because it was cool that he retired after draining a game-winning shot in the NBA Finals?) Did Willie Mays stumbling around the Mets outfield make you forget about how great he was in his prime? Do recent cash-grab albums by the Rolling Stones make Satisfaction any less satisfying?
(USA TODAY Sports Images)
If Phelps’ comeback becomes a punchline, maybe he replaces Jordan, who replaced Mays, as the poster child for athletes not coming back. But if he’s willing to take that risk, we should appreciate that we can go along for the ride.
The idea that a young athlete should stay retired to preserve his sporting legacy is contradictory anyway. No athlete ever became an all-time great by being passive. Phelps is bold and daring, as evidenced by his successful quest to win eight gold medals in a single Olympics, something many thought would never be done. Now we expect him to sit around at age 28 and not use that confidence and talent in an attempt to put his medal records out of reach? Phelps never would have been great if he didn’t accept the possibility of failure.
(USA TODAY Sports Images)
All of this talk about failure is moot anyway. Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer who ever lived. He was only out of the pool for a little over a year (which is why comparisons with Ian Thorpe aren’t fair). With motivation, the proper training and a competitive program tailored to his current skill set, there’s no reason to think Phelps’ comeback will be anything but a success.
If anything, his legend is set to grow even more.
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