Leviathan

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games: the 29th iteration of 'The Greatest Show on Earth'.

This is the first time I have been consistently following the progress of an International Olympiad. And I do so for specific reasons.

First, to watch Michael Phelps fulfil his dream of 8 gold medals in a single meet.

Second, to witness Usain Bolt shaving time off Michael Johnson's incredible 200m record of 19.32s.

Third, to see Liu Xiang defend his Olympic title against Dayron Robles.

This morning, I was a third of my way through that itinerary.

At 11:03am Beijing/Singapore local time, a great man by the name of Phelps, clinched his 8th Olympic gold medal in the week, for his outstanding contribution to the USA 4x100m medley relay team. And what a week it was for him.

8 gold medals, 7 world records, 1 Olympic record. He did what he wanted to achieve. He did what he was meant to do, in the Watercube in Beijing. No one in history had the courage to voice such a ludicrous proposal. Mark Spitz didn't make news before the Games because he wanted to win gold in every event he participated. But Phelps, he was a bit different.

He probably knew how much harder it would be if his quest were to become public. Many would cling to the premature and almost bloated expectations of his success, and yet many others would rejoice at his failure. Either way, the world's attention would fall on him, and that is as pressurising as can be.

Maybe he doesn't succumb easily to pressure, unlike many other athletes who tend to falter on the big stage. Maybe he doesn't care for what other thinks, not when he's in his element.

Maybe he's just that much more special than the rest of us, or maybe he just dreamt of greatness, and was willing to set himself through its trials.

Achievements in the field of sports are difficult to judge on their own merits. Glory comes in many forms, be it clocking a record time, or emerging victorious against perverse odds. Sometimes, athletes battle not merely their rivals in the field, but their inner demons, the zeitgeist, and public opinion as well. So while publications around the world indulge in absolutes and hyperboles regarding Phelps and his crowning achievement as yet, I would not go that far.

Maybe, just maybe, Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer in competitive swimming history.