Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz: Olympic Games, Swimsuit Controversies and Fatigue Factors

As Michael Phelps starts his bid to get as many gold medals as possible in the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008, it is hard not to think back to another Olympic swimming champion, Mark Spitz. If you don't remember the Mark Spitz of the 1972 Munich games, there are some striking similarities - and differences - between him and Michael Phelps.

Unlike Phelps, who wears a Speedo full body LZR racer suit, Spitz had a comparatively skimpy men's swimsuit, one which was part of a poster on my wall, showing Spitz with his gold medals draped around his neck. Mark Spitz also had a mustache, a move considered controversial enough at the time, because of the talk that it could create "drag" or slow down Spitz in the water.

In spite of that mustache and the talk about it possibly slowing down his time, Spitz went on to win a record seven gold medals in Olympic swimming. Now the attention is on Michael Phelps but similar controversies, seemingly timeless ones, haunt Michael Phelps.

Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz: the swimsuit factor

At the heart of this year's swimsuit controversy is one suit, the Speedo LZR racer, a topic I covered in more detail here at Associated Content, where questions were raised about whether the swimsuit created a fair or unfair advantage. It had been created by a team of experts, including some at NASA and accusations of swimmers being helped too much were the subject of much of the debate.

Ironically, the Speedo LZR swimsuit has almost a retro look to it since it does cover a swimmer's body far more than the suit worn by Mark Spitz back in 1972. Of course, Spitz also had that infamous mustache and he didn't have the advantage of the newer, so-called space age swimsuit - and yet he still went on to win his seven Olympic gold swimming medals! Will that fact be the basis for further debate even if Phelps does win big at the 2008 Olympic games? Will people remember the fact that he won or will talk of the controversial swimsuit overshadow that victory? Only time will tell, of course.

Mark Spitz reportedly weighed in on the whole swimsuit controversy, according to an article in The Washington Post, when noting that Michael Phelps could have set world records even if the notorious swimsuit had hair on it. Although Spitz later made light of his remarks, he didn't seem to feel the swimming suit factor was much of a factor at all. While many agree, the suit has been the subject of plenty of questions and debate as well.

Indiana University, Mark Spitz, Olympic swimming and mustaches

As a college student, I lived in the same dormitory where Mark Spitz sometimes stayed. The ghost of Mark Spitz seemed to be everywhere, since he'd left school only a short while before in his quest for Olympic glory. People were still talking proudly about him and his connection to Indiana University. While at Indiana University, he hadn't been allowed to have facial hair, a fact I knew because swimmers were still under the same strict rules while I was a student there.

Many of them lived in my dorm, then known as the Living and Learning Center, located conveniently near the swimming pool. Swimmers got up early for morning practices, went to class and then went back for afternoon practices, often arriving next to me in line at meals with hair still wet, smelling of chlorine. It was a rigid and tough schedule and only the most dedicated swimmers hung in there. Plenty dropped out, either from swimming or from school.

Always chafing at the rules that forbid swimmers to have body hair, Spitz grew his mustache after he left IU, a fact he noted in a recent NPR interview in August 2008, while also indicating that he used it not just to rebel against his old coach's rules but to gain a psychological advantage against Russia's swim team. He even bragged that the mustache didn't slow him down but actually helped him go faster. While this may seem questionable as a scientific fact, many of the Russian swimmers actually went on to have mustaches, according to Spitz.

It remains to be seen what psychological or other techniques Michael Phelps will use to his advantage during the Olympic Games. He is off to an excellent start. He doesn't appear to be wearing the mustache he had when first arriving at the Olympics. Perhaps he doesn't want to take any chances or playing mind games just aren't important to him right now. Perhaps he is focused on his goal of getting those medals, doing his ultimate best and trying to break as many records as possible, including records set by Mark Spitz.

Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps: Olympic Games swimming and the fatigue factor

The Beijing Olympics could be one to test any swimmer's limits. In addition to dealing with the difference in time zones (Beijing is 12 hours ahead of East Coast time in the United States), there is also the fact that Olympic swimming finals take place in the mornings, something that could work well for swimmers who prefer morning workouts or aren't affected by the possibility of smog levels still being high in China. Of course, it could be an issue for those swimmers who need some extra time to warm up, don't love morning competitions or are affected by the air quality (the air quality continues to be a topic of debate).

Fatigue or not, the record books show that Spitz managed to handle the pressure and also win those seven gold medals. Of course, it is impossible to predict if Phelps will do as well. He does face a grueling schedule, one he has handled very well thus far...but it is still early and the Olympic swimming competitions are young. Fatigue is always a factor for swimmers but it isn't the only variable. Winning or losing a competition can come down to something as crucial as making the a turn properly, pacing to avoid burnout and more. Even nerves or a bad night's sleep can make a huge difference, particularly when dealing with time changes and a different city.

I'm rooting for Michael Phelps, though. He has handled extraordinary pressure before and I'm hoping to see him hold up equally well this time around.

Sources
1.Personal experience as a swimmer (not Olympic level)

2.Personal experiences watching swimming practices at Indiana University and as a student there

3.Does Space Age LZR Swimsuit Make Waters Too Invisible for Olympic Swimmers (my article), Associated Content:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080402365.html

4.Controversial Swimsuit Dominates Talk, Washington Post, August 5, 2008:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080402365.html

5. Mark Spitz: How Phelps can Win Big in Beijing: NPR: August 9, 2008: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php