Michael Phelps Admits Being “Speechless” on Being Voted as ESPN’s Top Athlete of the 21st Century

Michael Phelps is the most decorated swimmer for several reasons, particularly for his astounding number of Olympic medals. At 39, he now gets to reap the fruits of his hard work in the water, as he proved to be one of the toughest competitors for everyone around him. Yet, his respect for other athletes, including some fellow legends across various domains, got him the spotlight recently.

ESPN came out with a list of 100 athletes who have made it to the top in their fields and made themselves an icon in the eyes of the world. Since 2000, several stars have emerged, creating various records and marking their names in history. Along with Phelps, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, Simone Biles, and Katie Ledecky were some of the highlights of the list.

In a conversation with ESPN, who informed him of his first place on the list, Phelps admitted that he was honored to be standing alongside several other athletic heroes. Calling out some of them, including Tom Brady, Roger Federer, Simone Biles, and others, he was overwhelmed by all the love and support he received.

And yet, when ESPN decided to leave it up to the public to vote for their top-ranking athlete, the majority went with Phelps. And his reaction to receiving the most number of votes was heartwarming.

“You think these are some of the biggest sports icons on the planet. So to be voted number one, like I was speechless!”

Winning eight gold medals in a single Olympic run, Phelps dominated his field quite quickly. Since his career kickstarted, he battled several issues like ADHD, a troubled relationship with his father, mental health hurdles that led him down a darker spiral, and many more.

Yet, he rose from his problems to emerge as a world champion, with records and accolades to his name. Now having a happy family and constantly advocating for athletes’ mental health, Phelps has since been on an iconic journey of betterment.

His respect for his fellow athletes is perhaps what gets to fans the most, amongst several other heartwarming anecdotes of him. This year, even though he’s been away from the Olympics, he chose to spectate and cheer for the current stars who took him by surprise at the trials.

How Michael Phelps’ reaction at the Olympic Trials finals went viral

The 100m butterfly trials finals were all ready to kickstart as the American competitors made their way near the pool. Everyone had the same goal – to win their seat in Paris.

Caeleb Dressel was one of the several swimming champions that fans had their eyes glued to, because of his records. With seven Olympic gold medals to his name, his name on the roster for the Paris Olympics almost seemed guaranteed.

However, Dressel witnessed a narrow chase by 17-year-old Thomas Heilman, and both swimmers made it to the finish line with 50.19 and 50.80 respectively. This drew a stunned reaction from Phelps, who watched in awe and amazement, applauding both swimmers for their incredible speed.