Jordan Mailata Aust’s next swim superstar? St George & Sutherland Shire Leader St George, NSW

His record as the youngest male swimmer to hold a world record still stands today, and serves as just the beginning of a long string of broken world records to come. Still 15, Phelps became the youngest male swimmer taki ramen wichita falls to break a world record, a title previously held by none other than Thorpe, who broke his own record at age 16. His lower body is, unusually, only 5’10” long, which is proportionally shorter than the norm.

Adding to this, Phelps also has extremely flexible joints, including, most importantly, his ankles, which are capable of 15 degrees of greater movement than an average man’s. That extra flexibility allows for a fuller range of motion, which propels Phelps through the water more efficiently. It seems that a fair few elite athletes have genetic quirks that give them an edge in their sport.

It doesn’t hurt that Phelps also has very large hands, which, when combined with his long arms, act like the paddles of a boat. In mid-2019, the controversy regarding South African runner Caster Semenya’s eligibility to participate in competitions against other female runners culminated in a Court of Arbitration for Sport judgement. Semenya possessed high endogenous testosterone levels , secondary to a disorder of sexual development. In this commentary, Aristotelean teleology is used to defend the existence of ‘male’ and ‘female’ as discrete categories. It is argued that once the athlete’s sex is established, they should be allowed to compete in the category of their sex without obligatory medical treatment.

Michael is lucky to have a doctor who had the awareness of Marfan to get him screened and followed to be sure he doesnt have any problems found commonly in connective tissue disorders that are fatal. Awareness needs to be raised about connective tissue disorders. They are not as rare as reported…just rarely diagnosed. Genetic and molecular testing though, I hope dont show false negatives. The most serious problem people with Marfan syndrome fade is weakness of the wall of the aorta, which is the body’s biggest artery.

I’m a Marfan and all my live I’ve been feeling depressed that I wasn’t able to do any physical activities. I want to play sports, work out and even martial art. My dream was to be a soldier, but I wasn’t able to realize any of that. When i first read about Marfan Syndrome I was scared that i had it. I have not talked to my doctor yet but I’m pretty sure i don’t have it.

I mean, come on,that sounds too far fetched to believe. The swimming federation refused to comment on who these swimmers are at this time. Don’t forget the low lactic acid production, ability to hyperextend many joints including in his chest , paddle-like hands, the torso of a man who would be 6’8”, which gives him giant lungs well, the legs of a man who would be 6’ . I’ve heard people say that Phelps has a body that was born to swim, and there’s little doubt his physical form has helped him. But the fact is, he never would have reached his record-breaking success without a lot of hard work.

Some friends of ours have children with Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Marfans. Michael Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics, a total of eight, and is arguably the best Olympic athlete ever. Since the CAF and IAAF judgments did not question Semenya’s sex, the proposal of these authors would ensure that she was treated with the same standard as other athletes with intrinsic advantages.

Phelps went on to the 2001 World Championships in Japan, breaking his own record in the 200-meter butterfly. We’ve covered how Phelps began swimming at the age of 7. While that’s impressive, what he went on to achieve in his teens is unbelievable. But genetics are only half the game—while they may determine our maximum, they don’t determine whether we’ll reach that potential. That’s left to discipline and dedication, which Phelps certainly has.