At this year's spring nationals, Michael established himself as the youngest U.S. male world record holder ever when he cracked the 1:55 barrier in the 200 meter butterfly with his 1:54.92.
"What got me to the world record," Michael explains, "was a lot of hard work, a lot of support from my teammates, family and friends, guidance from my coach, Bob Bowman, who knows so much about the sport, and, I guess, dedication and personal drive-wanting to achieve something."
Coach Bowman believes the world record was simply the natural result of an ongoing training program.
"We certainly didn't focus on it," Bowman explains. "Michael has a long way to go, and we want to keep doing the kinds of things that got him to this point. Right now, he does a very aggressive excercise program, though it doesn't include any weight training. The focus is on technique.
"What we're doing both in and out of the water is going to enhance his strength naturally, without putting a big focus on it. Furthermore, Michael's workout load suits his chronological age. He does about 75 perecent of the peak workload of a world-class swimmer."
Before Michael hooked up with Bowman, he was coached by Kathy Lears, Julie Gorman (who excelled in butterfly when she swam for North Baltimore) and Tom Hines.
"I have to say that Michael really grabbed my attention the very first practice that I coached him," remembers Bowman. "We had re-arranged the club a bit, and I had taken the troup that had the best 13-14 year-olds, but he was in there as an 11 year-old, and he was already the best one in that group. Specifically, I remember that on that first day I gave the group a very difficult set, and I thought no one would be able to make the last five 100s, 5x100 on 1:05. Not only did he make them, but he descended the 100s as well."
As important as the swimming side of Michael's life is, his coach and parents agree that Michael's development as a person comes first. "He has never been pushed," Bowman says firmly. "He has been encouraged and given support, but the choice to swim is his. In addition, we have never made him out to be a star. We try and treat him the same as everyone else. He has to observe the same rules, and maintain the same discipline that everyone else observes and maintains."
At the same time, of course, when a swimmer is exceptional, as Michael clearly is, some things need to be done differently. Therefore, Bowman says, "I've worked very closely with Michael's parents, Debbie and Fred, to plan for what the next step in his swimming would bring, and to plan our strategy for dealing with it, so that we would not be caught be surprise.
"We wanted a very steady progression of develpment-not just in Michael's swimming, but in his mental and emotional growth as well. We know that Michael is doing something he loves to do, which is swim, and our goal is to keep alive a kind of purity about what he does for as long as we can."
The sense of purity that Michael has about swimming comes through in his attitude toward the world record. It is a part of the process, but not the end of the process.
"After the race," he remembers, "I flipped out. But I knew I couldn't celebrate for too long, since I had the 200 IM the next day. Later, everyone kept asking me, 'Has it sunk in yet?' I mean, it's an awesome thing and a great feeling. But I don't feel like that's it. I think I can keep getting faster. I was definitely really satisfied with the record, but I also hope that doing a lot of work now will eventually pay off and give me a faster time in the future."
Besides the goal of continiuing to progress as a swimmer, Michael also has the goal of being a goodwill ambassador for the sport, just like the swimmer he grew up admiring, Pablo Morales.
"My sister Whitney (a world-class swimmer in her own right) met Pablo at a banquet and got me all these autographs. She got him to sign my cap, shirt and a poster. I still have those things hanging in my room. More than being a great swimmer, I saw him as a good role model-a good person in general. I'm going to do my best to follow Pablo's example. Hoefully, I can be a good role model for someone else."
He certainly has the qualities to become a good role model. In Bowman's view, the thing that sets Michael apart-even more than physical skills-is his ability to relax and focus on what he wants to accomplish at a meet.
"I prepare for every race the same way," Michael reveals, "no matter whether it's a local, a national or an international meet. I always have headphones on to focus and block everyone else out. When I set the world record, I followed the same routine I always follow. I got in an hour-and-a-half before the event, I got back in 20 minutes before the race. Then I just went up and did it.
"When I hit the wall, I turned around saw the scoreboard flashing, 'New World Record. I especially remember Tom (Malchow) congratulating me. That meant a lot, since he's an excellent swimmer, a great competitor and the one who had held the world record. Then, I remember I jumped out of the water and went nuts. I don't think I've ever smiled so big before."
Even though Micahel is 15 and, therefore, "just a kid," he clearly shows he is a swimmer who is in command of his own destiny. Not only is he able to say that the Olympics is just another big meet, but he is also able to swim in that way-calmly, deliberately and in control. Finally, it would be a mistake to assume that because Michael has now set the world record in the 200 fly, he is exclusively a butterflyer. From 1998 on, he has dropped his times each year not only in the 200 fly, but in all the events he swims, including the 200 and 400 IMs and the 1500 free.
Put that progression together with continued hard work and with the added height, weight and strength that will inevitably come with age; add the support of teammates, friends and family; mix in the thoughtful planning provided by his coach, Bob Bowman, and the possibilities are endless.
