A splash heard around the world

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There are some people in Nebraska kicking themselves this week for not finagling a ticket to Omaha’s Qwest Center this summer to watch the great Michael Phelps take the first strokes on his way to Olympic history.

Such an opportunity is not likely to reoccur soon, if ever.

Phelps set two world records in the pool in Omaha. They didn’t last long. He broke them both in Beijing.

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Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps

Phelps’ achievement in winning eight gold medals — the most in Olympic history — and setting or sharing in seven new world records provides a handful of positive takeaway messages.

His feat affirmed the power of imagination.

“With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is imagination,” Phelps said.

His prowess was a tribute to a mind-boggling number of hours in the pool. Phelps has trained at least six days a week since he was 12 years old.

“Michael has a pretty easy life, if you don’t count the five hours a day of torture I put him through,” his coach said.

Phelps success could not have come without overcoming unexpected adversity. In the 200-meter butterfly, his goggles filled with water. He said he counted strokes to know when the end of the pool was nearing.

Phelps’ win by one hundredth of a second in the 100-meter butterfly was a moment made for a motivational poster showing the value of powering through the finish line.

Most importantly, Phelps’ record haul of gold could not have come without the help of many others, particularly the swimmers who competed with him on relays.

Most notable of those was Jason Lezak, the relay anchorman who came from behind in the 400-meter freestyle relay to nip Frenchman Alain (“We will crush them.”) Bernard.

And there was Cullen Jones, also a member of the relay team, who became only the second African-American to claim a gold medal in swimming.

“The stigma that black people don’t swim ended today,” Jones said.

Jones plans to use his Olympic renown to convince more minority children to see swimming as an athletic option. Nearly 60 percent of African-American youths and 56 percent of Hispanic youths don’t know how to swim, compared with 31 percent of white youths in the United States, according to a study by the University of Memphis.

Only a few weeks ago, it was hard to imagine that swimming would so capture the attention of the nation and the world, with cheers erupting in bars when Phelps splashed to the touchpad first, and a Friday night television audience of 66 million. Many surely agreed with the Journal Star’s Clark Grell, who wrote, “Never thought I’d actually set the DVR to record swimming … ever. That’s the power of Phelps.”

The Olympic Trials in Omaha broke records for the largest swimming meet in the United States. After Phelps’ performance in Beijing, one can’t help but believe that’s another record that won’t last long.