Rod Laver Arena: Not Just the Aussie Open; Where Michael Phelps Set the Stage For Beijing
Although it will not feature defending champion and nine-time titlist Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open will unfold in Melbourne over the next two weeks. Rod Laver Arena will be the focal point of tennis’ first Grand Slam of the year, with the venue playing host to the highest-profile matches, including the finals.
For some, Rod Laver Arena will also be remembered as the site of Michael Phelps’ excellence at the 2007 World Championships. It was almost 15 years ago in which Phelps won seven gold medals, broke four individual world records and set the stage for his eight-gold showing at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The only thing that kept Phelps from winning eight golds in Melbourne was a disqualification by the United States in the preliminaries of the 400 medley relay.
Here is a look at what Phelps pulled off inside Rod Laver Arena, including video of each of the races.
400 Freestyle Relay (March 25)
As the United States won gold in a championship record of 3:12.72, Michael Phelps jumpstarted the Red, White and Blue with a leadoff split of 48.42. To put that effort in perspective, Canadian Brent Hayden and Italian Filippo Magnini shared gold in the 100 freestyle later in the week in 48.43.
200 Freestyle (March 26-27)
Not only did Phelps demoralize the competition, including Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband, he broke the world record of Ian Thorpe with a clocking of 1:43.86. That performance took down Thorpe’s global standard of 1:44.06 and, as a fifth solo event, enhanced the potential of Phelps chasing eight gold medals in Beijing.
200 Butterfly (March 27-28)
On the way to a world-record clocking of 1:52.09, Phelps beat silver medalist Wu Peng (1:55.13) by more than three seconds. More, he shattered his own world record, with the former standard sitting at 1:53.71. This race was the perfect example of an athlete racing the clock and himself, for the competition didn’t stand a chance.
200 Individual Medley (March 28-29)
Becoming the first man in history to crack the 1:55 barrier, Phelps set a world record of 1:54.98 and earned the gold medal in comfortable fashion over Ryan Lochte (1:56.19). The victory marked Phelps’ third consecutive world title in the event, which saw Hungarian Laszlo Cseh pick up the bronze medal.
800 Freestyle Relay (March 30)
The United States took down the world record, going 7:03.24 behind the foursome of Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller and Peter Vanderkaay. Phelps opened the relay with a split of 1:45.36 and the United States broke Australia’s world record of 7:04.66, set at the 2001 World Championships in Japan.
100 Butterfly (March 30-31)
The biggest individual test of the week for Phelps required him to rally against American teammate Ian Crocker, something he had done at the 2004 Olympic Games. Trailing Crocker by .43 at the turn, Phelps gradually reeled in his countryman over the last lap, clipping him at the wall with a mark of 50.77. Crocker touched in 50.82. Of course, Phelps would rally in the final strokes at the Beijing Games, too, with Serbian Milorad Cavic the victim by a hundredth of a second.
400 Individual Medley (April 1)
An Argument can be made that this event, because it was held on the last day of competition, was the most impressive of the week. Despite his grueling schedule, Phelps had enough in the tank to register a time of 4:06.22 and break his world record from the 2004 Olympics (4:08.26) by more than two seconds. It was the perfect way for Phelps to start his march toward Olympic glory in Beijing.