Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, is coming out of retirement to swim next week at the Arena Grand Prix in Arizona.
The meet will be his first competitive meet since the 2012 London Olympics, where he won the last of his 18 golds and 22 medals overall – a staggering total no one else comes close to.
The swimmer’s camp is remaining low-key about the comeback, refusing even to acknowledge it’s the first step toward competing at the 2016 Rio Games although everyone knows Phelps wouldn’t be going to all this trouble (drug testing, training five days a week) if he wasn’t preparing for the only meet that really matters.
By taking that approach, Phelps has left himself with plenty of wiggle room should his comeback fail to meet his own incredibly high standards. Rest assured, he doesn’t want to wash out like others who came out of retirement, including fellow swimmers Ian Thorpe and Janet Evans. Both attempted to qualify for the London Olympics and didn’t make it past their national trials, a sad epitaph to their brilliant careers.
Phelps’ coach, Bob Bowman, insisted nothing can take away from Phelps’ impact on the sport, no matter what happens over the next week or month or two years.
“His legacy is sealed,” Bowman told The Associated Press on Monday.
It should help that Phelps is planning to swim less-strenuous races and fewer events than he did in his prime. And he’s still only 28, far from over the hill as an athlete.
“He wouldn’t be doing this if he didn’t think he could do it,” said Dara Torres, who pulled off numerous comebacks and won three silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics at age 41.
How impressive is Phelps’ legacy? Here’s a look at five of his most memorable moments:
GREAT HAUL OF CHINA
Phelps will forever be linked to his remarkable performance in Beijing, where he won eight gold medals (five individual, three relays) to break Mark Spitz’s iconic Olympic record.
Only 11 other athletes have won as many gold medals in their careers as Phelps won during that magical week in China. For good measure, he set or was part of seven world records.
The only time he missed out might have been his most impressive triumph – rallying to beat Milorad Cavic by one-hundredth of a second in the 100-meter butterfly.
DOUBLING DOWN
Phelps became the first swimmer to set world records in two different events on the same day at the 2003 world championships in Barcelona.
He took down the mark in the 100-meter butterfly during a semifinal heat and smashed his own record in the final of the 200 individual medley about an hour later.
LONDON CALLING
After serving a three-month suspension over an embarrassing bong picture and facing doubts about whether he wanted to keep competing, Phelps returned for his fourth Olympics in 2012.
He swam seven events – one less than in 2004 and 2008 – and started out with a disappointing fourth-place finish in the 400 IM.
He bounced back to win four golds and two silvers, smashing Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina’s record of 18 career medals.
YOUNG MICHAEL
In 2000, Phelps qualified for his first Olympic team at age 15, making him the youngest U.S. male swimmer since 1932. The following year, still three months short of his 16th birthday, he became the youngest male to set a world record in the 200 butterfly.
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE
A bit overlooked given Phelps’ Olympic dominance was his performance at the 2007 worlds in Melbourne, Australia. Tuning up for Beijing, he went 7-for-7 with five world records.
Alas, he didn’t get a chance to claim an eighth victory through no fault of his own; the heavily favored U.S. team was disqualified in the prelims of the 400 medley relay while Phelps was resting up for the final.
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
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