Looking through the archives of Total Swim, I came across two articles I wrote four years ago, heading into the Athens Olympics that would make interesting re-reading today.

The first is What Makes Michael Phelps So Good – and how can you and I be better?
which examines the unusual physical characteristics that contribute to his dominance. There’s an amusing pair of photo comparisons between Phelps and my-then 53 year old self, showing that while I may be quite ordinary physically, for at least one moment captured on camera my form was a little better than his.

The second is
Watch Olympians and Improve your Own Swimming: An Informed Spectator’s Guide
This mentions several still-active Olympic swimmers as well as several now retired ones, but the most applicable parts have to do with technique points to watch for on TV (or youtube.)

To read a more current examination of why Phelps is so good — and one of the best-informed swimming articles I’ve read in the mainstream media, see Out There by Mark Levine in the Aug 3 issue of the NY Times magazine, PLAY.