Table of Contents
Foreword Jason Lezak IX
Preface: Let the Games Begin: China, 2008 XIII
Acknowledgments XVII
Introduction Rowdy Gaines XIX
Part I
Chapter 1 Raised by a Single Mom and Two Amazing Sisters 3
Chapter 2 The Family That Swims Together: The Push to 2000 for the Phelps Siblings 13
Chapter 3 The Architect Behind the Plan: Coach Bob Bowman 21
Chapter 4 Quest for History, Take 1: Athens, 2004 35
Chapter 5 Becoming a Young Man: Life at the University of Michigan 45
Chapter 6 The "Thorpedo" on Swimming's Radar 69
Chapter 7 Omaha, Nebraska: No Calm Before the Storm 77
Chapter 8 Mark Spitz: Michael, Watch Out in the 100 Butterfly 87
Chapter 9 What Could Go Wrong? 101
Chapter 10 China Takes World's Center Stage 107
Part II
Chapter 11 Beijing 2008: Saturday, August 9 117
Chapter 12 Sunday, August 10: Finals, 400 IM 129
Chapter 13 Monday, August 11: Finals, 4 x 100 Relay 133
Chapter 14 Tuesday, August 12: Finals, 200 Freestyle 149
Chapter 15 Wednesday, August 13: Finals, 200 Butterfly and 800 Free Relay (4 x 200) 153
Chapter 16 Thursday, August 14: No Finals, But Little Time to Rest 167
Chapter 17 Friday, August 15: Finals, 200 Individual Medley 173
Chapter 18 Saturday, August 16: Finals, 100 Butterfly 183
Chapter 19 Sunday, August 17: Finals, 4 x 100 Medley Relay 193
Chapter 20 U.S. Women Make Their Own History 199
Chapter 21 Live, from China: A Family Affair 211
Chapter 22 From the Great Wall, to the Great Beyond 221
Appendix A Glossary of Terms 231
Appendix B Strokes 235
Appendix C Major Events on the U.S. Swim Calendar 237
Appendix D Author Interview 239
Appendix EPhelps' Career Statistics 245
Appendix F June 30: A Day that Brought the World Michael Phelps-and a Whole Lot More 249