11 year old Michael Phelps wins 50 Butterfly - 1997

Young Michael Phelps 50y Butterfly at the 1997* Maryland All-Star Meet. He was 11 years old. This race was from the morning prelims session with a time of 26.??.
If you're not convinced that this really is Michael Phelps as a kid, see this tweet from Debbie Phelps / 290497228907352064 .
He had the same routine on the blocks even back then. You can hear cheering for Michael throughout.
On March 30, 2001 Phelps became the youngest male swimmer ever to break a world record - 4 years and 1 month after this race.
*The 02.28.96 date stamp should be 02.28.97 (user error).

[@helenamay4758]

he still did the arm thing back then XD

[@amaurybs5729]

That's the secret

[@tongzheng11]

He said in an interview that he did it ever since he was 10

[@lernco4492]

It's simply his style. Accompanied with determination and power.

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

MICHAEL! PHELPS! IS! A! (AMAZING)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@morverous]

Every swimmer does that

[@JeffCooper86]

Phelps was 11 when his coach Bob Bowman told him he could make the Olympic team in 4 years. He didn't miss a practice for the next 5 years - this race would have been during year 1.

[@ihaveasmallobsessionwithha1238]

What’s his time?

[@ianfroud70]

significant ways he implemented his technique in fly has been great to watch . At 11 he didn't spend much time underwater , into his stroke.

[@DaFifaKid]

i mean i never missed a practice in middle school basketball for 2 years lol, didnt help me

[@qekruxt5089]

@@DaFifaKid You have to be a freak of nature to be at Phelps' level. It helps very much with your self-esteem when people around you tell you that you have potential.

[@justsomejusstsome8994]

@@DaFifaKid You did improve though?

[@mr.montano6581]

He's been doing that arm swinging thing since he was young.

[@alonsobruni8131]

His arm was a mile long at 11 :D

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

THE! (G,O,A,T)! OLYMPIAN! (SWIMMER)! THE! BALTIMORE! BULLET! (BB)! IS! A! (AMAZING)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@Zones33]

So he's always done that flappy thing with his arms huh?

[@pikeohwow1256]

Yep the back slap

[@mountedadventure2492]

+Regan Royer gets your blood pumping

[@evant7637]

In Le Zone it's a hand warmup

[@blazingfire_0712]

loosing your arms for better paddling of your arms... and prevents cramps

[@finneganion]

Most swimmers do a version of it but Phelp's just had the most flexibility for it.

[@eleacahuet1002]

I wonder what the people would have said if we told them that he was going to win gold medals and beat Olympic records in a couple of years and they were just watching a futur champion.

[@domseesthestorm4714]

A future Olympic legend

[@platinumpineapple9943]

Eléa Cahuet a future olympic and swimming icon for the entire century

[@MrDodgeball18]

I found the psych sheet for this meet online. He went a 26.2 in this prelim race and got a 26.07 and 2nd place overall for the 50 fly. He also got 2nd in the 100 back and fly and 50 back, 3rd in the 200 free and IM.

[@annalisacaciorgna6365]

is this metres, or im?

[@nateguy6053]

@@annalisacaciorgna6365 you obviously have never been to a swimming event

[@Matt-yp7io]

@@nateguy6053 chill out dude

[@annalisacaciorgna6365]

@@nateguy6053 sorry i meant yards lol

[@DavidB-mt3bm]

Who came first?😳

[@breaststroke4life632]

I wish I started swimming competitively when I was that young

[@iAnime2024]

Same

[@tienhuynh5397]

I started when I was 6

[@davidtudorwehr7573]

Same

[@guiseb7137]

Well, I never started

[@AggroFrost]

Tien Huynh i started when i was 4

[@QueenPH23]

His arm warm up is signature in his greatness bravo Michael Phelps 🇺🇸

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

THE! BALTIMORE! BULLET! (BB)! IS! A! (AMAZING)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

THE! (G,O,A,T)! OLYMPIAN! (SWIMMER)! MICHAEL! PHELPS! IS! A! (AMAZING)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@Andrewisbeastly]

Impressive! 29 seconds for a 6th grader? hard to imagine. Although if true, I sure as hell don't know why anyone would stop their swimming career with a time like that!

[@Diana-kk6qz]

Could be 7th or 5th too.

[@Matt-fr5qm]

He actually did a 26.2

[@Matt-fr5qm]

It’s crazy

[@joesr31]

highly doubt that was a 29sec, 29sec for butterfly at 11 is good but not that unusual.

[@skiiipawbs]

@@joesr31 26

[@krizzmukhtar5909]

lol..he would beat my whole state swim team in thiis event..i barely reach 29 and im 17..phelps must be made in some lab..

[@emperorpalpatine9540]

Sein Mukhtar remember yards and meters are different

[@andrewkim9214]

I had a 26 when i was a 12 year old dumbass

[@ryovanderpool2216]

Andrew Kim lol you made a mistake. You forgot the : after 2 and the 0 before 6

[@zoomina.2772]

Wow I’m eleven and in meters I actually go 28 in yards I go 27.54

[@muhdarif7121]

CAN RELATE

[@destructiveodst1199]

guys this is 50 YARD not metre

[@patrickhill8827]

So 45 metres short course why do americans have such weird measurements

[@ozlouw]

Is that a young Bob Bowman standing behind Phelps at the start? I think it is.

[@danistar524]

he was a winner from the start 😁🏊

[@thelordmanell869]

That's kinda depressing and motivating

[@zybo851]

i swam a 50 fly in 10.1 and im 6 months old

[@adhdochen3643]

+DAILY GAMEZ lol

[@dancingtroll3823]

DAILY GAMEZ more like 50 mm

[@jacquelinestenroos2708]

got a good laugh out of this one. prime comment ;P well done

[@youmustcreateachanne]

I'm more impressed by your mastery of English & your ability to type at 6 mos.

[@martin1024]

I swam a 50 flay in 9.58 and im 90 years usain bolt actually i ran
Actually im broke af

[@seamusdeakin4599]

u simply should not be allowed to go that time at 11 years old. Unbelieveable

[@ricky8512]

I think it is yards, not meters

[@Aaronaa4]

Nice video! What a resemblance between young and old Michael

[@AndrewsOpinion15]

great video of 11 year old michael phelps wins 50 butterfly in 1997 !!!

[@kakaha113]

This same pool yardage - 22 meters approximately . And the result of about 26 seconds for 11-year-old boy , it's something unbelievable :)

[@davidk2088]

Its 50 yards. In the begining u hear the voice say "50 yard butterfly... beep"

[@taylor13rm]

Oh baby Michael. He still had that arm flapping back then and the way he dives in the pool. . . G.O.A.T

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

THE! (OMEGA)!MAN! IS! THE! SWIMMING! (G,O,A,T)! &! IS! A! (AMAZING)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

FOR! SURE! THE! (G,O,A,T)! OLYMPIAN! (SWIMMER)! MICHAEL! PHELPS! IS! THE! (G,O,A,T)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

FOR! SURE! THE! (G,O,A,T)! OLYMPIAN! (SWIMMER)! MICHAEL! PHELPS! IS! THE! (G,O,A,T)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@Wwfforlife]

Lol you can see his long time coach right behind him

[@vickykalinowski7266]

Bob Bowman!

[@vickykalinowski7266]

And I'm gonna meet him along with 6 Olympic swimmers!!!😝😝

[@Wwfforlife]

You are? Awesome man I would love to meet bob

[@leandrocaminha]

Great video Jeff!

[@lajohnson1ly]

Dayum! A 26.2? Did you catch the timers looking at each other, and the one on the left shook his head like, can you believe this kid? He was a natural.

[@mikeycat18]

I was timing at an 8u meet once and god. There always is that one kid

[@mikespenceTHEGOATB]

THE! (G,O,A,T)! OLYMPIAN! THE! (OMEGA)!MAN! IS! A! (AMAZING)! SWIMMER! HA! HA! HA!

[@MarineKingPride]

exactly, and the fact that the guy standing behind the block is bob bowman is just such a giveaway that the swimmer is phelps.

[@ettorepesci6021]

I think is 50 yards, no 50 meters

[@m.e.s9198]

agree

[@guiseb7137]

It's 50 meters

[@lachlanmiller8644]

I agree - 26 for an 11 year old seems too fast

[@ok-gg5kp]

No duh. Its obviously scy

[@wv3378]

No meters

[@triangulumjump8666]

Oh, man. Phelps was always a champion! I am 11 years old and I did this in 41.28

[@gabrielhuff863]

Oh, está ótimo, creio que agora você deve ter 14, como está indo?

[@gueSswewillneVerknow]

I’m 15 and can’t finish a 50 fly

[@jasonchavez594]

@@gueSswewillneVerknow it's okay dawg it's hard, the other day I had to swim the 100 yard fly and it hurt

[@cartert147]

Keep on swimmin TriangulumJump!! You ever know where u could end up!

[@ZORGIN]

@@jasonchavez594100 yard fly always hurts lmao

[@zako4058]

Hmm this kid could become an olympian one day

[@artiicom]

HE DID THE ARM THING

[@willenlao]

26 seconds 50 yard fly is pretty fast for an 11 year old boy but not AMAZINGLY fast given that this is arguably the GOAT of swimming.

[@Domino13334]

One guy from my school had the honour to compete against Phelps at the Olympic Games.

[@abigaildriskell8917]

I'm 2 and I swim the 1500 scy in 0.001 seconds so ha

[@eleacahuet1002]

+Abigail Driskell I'm not even born and I can do a million miles in -20 seconds!

[@felipemaineri1146]

Lol guys u noobs i do 10km in -0,00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 seconds beat that

[@henrytheswimmer9453]

lmao im not even born and i can swim across the pacific ocean in -141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286 208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481 117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233 786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006 606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146 951941511609433057277416772947867242292465436680098067692823828068996400482435
162499341913181480927777103863877343177207545654532207770921201905166096280490 926360197598828161332316663652861932668633606273567630354477628035045077723554 710585954870279081435624014517180624643626794561275318134078330336254232783944 975382437205835311477119926063813346776879695970309833913077109870408591337464 144282277263465947047458784778720192771528073176790770715721344473060570073349 243693113835049316312840425121925651798069411352801314701304781643788518529092 854520116583934196562134914341595625865865570552690496520985803385072242648293 972858478316305777756068887644624824685792603953527734803048029005876075825104 747091643961362676044925627420420832085661190625454337213153595845068772460290 161876679524061634252257719542916299193064553779914037340432875262888963995879 475729174642635745525407909145135711136941091193932519107602082520261879853188 770584297259167781314969900901921169717372784768472686084900337702424291651300 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560010165525637567856672279661988578279484885583439751874454551296563443480396 642055798293680435220277098429423253302257634180703947699415979159453006975214 829336655566156787364005366656416547321704390352132954352916941459904160875320 186837937023488868947915107163785290234529244077365949563051007421087142613497 459561513849871375704710178795731042296906667021449863746459528082436944578977 233004876476524133907592043401963403911473202338071509522201068256342747164602 4335440051521266932493419673977041595683753555166730
seconds

[@kkanyetrump]

why is this in my reccomneded, i almost drowned

[@johnsully7649]

This is nuts!!!!

[@rsosio648]

Yo to everyone who doesn’t swim,it’s called the MP Flap man

[@withoutpassid]

No, he learned swimming by 7 or 8, according to a documentary film about him.

[@patrickmurray6567]

This kid's got potential!

[@kimseokjinnierulesmylife2403]

Patrick Murray you're serious right?

[@avinash2899]

might be on olympic podium on day

[@littlegamer_8539]

I wanna know what he got when he was 10, I'm 11 in a few months and do a 36.30 for 50 fly, is that good or bad??

[@AYUSHKUMAR-ux3rb]

This guy is good at swimming
Maybe he should give a try at the Olympics......

[@joshlantis3148]

I am currently 12 and I now swim only a high 27, gratz phelps

[@joshlantis3148]

I am bladerdj fyi, I have improved a lot.

[@simbaa1935]

my 50 meter is 1minut 35 second with 2 small breaks..😆😆

[@MadBomerGaming]

Lol that's bad

[@renal4366]

my fifty yard is 37 :l not close
However, my friend Arielle has like a 30:00

[@isaacmcclellan2816]

+Bomer_ it's a joke.

[@vickykalinowski7266]

+Rena Li mine is 32

[@abbiecullen6141]

nitin jadhav that's quite slow

[@sarahw3810]

That pool looked a bit small to be a 25 meter, it may be a 20 trader...

[@ODX_Animation]

It's definitely a 25 YARD pool, cuz 'Murica.

[@Ben-uw4fn]

Same thoughts here... But i guess alot of things look distorted on screen

[@jackkeith740]

He’s at the NAAC pool where I swim. He was on NBAC and were arch rivals with them lol

[@SitiakosPoilitis]

yes, this is Phelps!

[@Hidroncs]

If i understand well... the speaker said it's 50yrd butterfly. 26+ is still a superb result anyway for an 11 yrs old :-)

[@babbo8478]

4 years later....

[@egi__lyricsadder5545]

stickman who later in his life dominated Olympics

[@77Original]

i went a 26.9 this weekend at the regional finals in the uk :)

[@taylorhayes4231]

Now when ever I swim in any competition I always do the back slap lol

[@allodsgm]

the moment when you are 18 and go 26 and he is 11 and goes same time :D

[@enricoquaini1439]

But... Yards or meters?

[@ray1211ng]

+What's Up i feel you

[@stefanostsitsipas5201]

Well 26 seconds on 50 fly IN SCY pool is like 32 or 33 on LCM

[@youdeservetobehappynow7584]

he's very fast

[@SnailOfAnger]

That instant replay though on the other hand was pure gold. Made me lol

[@zoe-mt4xk]

…that’s faster than my freestyle time

[@celinepnn]

Is being 11 with the time of 38 seconds for a 50m fly good?

[@Multicommentormentor]

Do you know what time he got for this race? And if it was 25 yards or 25 meter pool?

[@quaxky326]

I wonder how the other mother’s felt after Micheal completely destroys the competition

[@Dro_gon]

People who pretend to be a kid posting comment on youtube..they scare me.

[@animalartist68artworld3]

Wow that's Michael Phelps! 😃

[@lommylow8438]

sheeesh were u there

[@kingofthenerds7925]

Ah he’s not breathing every stroke in butterfly at this age

[@bluvillage]

25m length pool?

[@outworlddreamer]

It says it was recorded in 96...

[@865bricks]

Bro was always fast, my 50 fly time is a 35.42

[@СергейПахомов-д6б]

28.02.96...He is only 10 years old right there

[@willowsmith5503]

what was his time? I'm 12 and I have a 29.73 in this event it's my favorite event. I

[@chloehart6081]

It's weird how you are right, Bob did tell him he could make the Olympic team at that age when from the look of it, it looks like he is only going a 27 for his 50yrd fly. (The beep started at about :10 and it look like he finishes at around :37) I'm not sure how fast he was going, but a lot of 11 year old boys on my team are going that time also and they won't be making the Olympic team ever.

[@kidproduction6720]

11 years old, 50m butterfly with a turn took him around 27 seconds. Give me a break.

[@legostarwars1991]

I am 15 and I am training 23 hours a week maybe you should look into that. 9 practices every week since I was 13.

[@nikolaevryyysa]

How is it 1997, if the tape itself shows 1996 displayed on the screen?

[@olliegriffiths8072]

Ruslan Nikolaev look at the description

[@TheUnPlayable]

Holly fuck ! 26 sec at 11 !!
Stopped swimming at age 12 and a half and was doing 50 metters crawl in 29 seconds. This dude is crazy fast O.o

[@nikolawochnik7024]

I love it !

[@Laidx]

Andrew, how is that hard to imagine? He mentioned 50m front crawl? 29 isn't spectacular, but it is fast for a 11 or 12 year old.

[@zealeau]

Was this Before or After he felt inside the Doping Kettle ?

[@DeniseAtkinsonSteffe]

I was on the deck with my daughter Ariel for another relay. Strange timing.

[@alinaandreea9424]

Whaaaaat?! I'm also 11 years old and I'm the state champion (in my country) with the time of 34 at butterfly! How could he score 26 at that age?!

[@user-matijaradjen123]

Its 50 yards not 50 meters

[@JaDanBar97]

He was super sharp off the block... Michael Phelps was always going to be amazing

[@pevidex96]

i can't believe the pool is 25 meters

[@DeniseAtkinsonSteffe]

I saw him a little younger at 9 at the edge of the pool.

[@MrGotro1]

I had a friend named David Benoit, if you're out there please respond. When we swam together, he was 11 or 12 and I can remember him getting a time in the range of a 27.?? in the 50 yard butterfy. This was impressive b/c it was back in the early 80's, and I know times have gotten faster, and techniques have gotten better. So he wasn't that far off of Phelps at the time. I lost contact with him, and I just wander if he would have stuck to swimming, if he would have been someone that could have excelled in the same or similar way...

[@duleswim]

Hello everyone, please answer me,is this 50m or 50y.thanks

[@carlosmedinaheras8573]

Fabuloso

[@ekzy4092]

what time though?

[@agnesakne4409]

now he breathes every stroke

[@kevinli2317]

man and I thought I was good. i'm still going 26.8 and I just turned 13

[@baswizzy]

I just clocked him on my phone and had a 26.23, so something around that.

[@VindictusXIII]

GOAT

[@Nabilazh15]

Amazing,greeting from indonesia

[@praneethmathewwijayagunase9297]

Ma man was way ahead of his time 😃

[@truman5838]

Me at 11
Doggy paddle

[@kaylaaaxoxo]

by chance anyone know his time?

[@cameronreverts3546]

That's fast for 11

[@roccoG-ff1dt]

what was his time

[@alicallalli1028]

27s in 50fly omg D:

[@soccerstargl]

All these people saying they got better times...its probably cuz u did it in yards and he did it in meters

[@treoleadorcara2977]

27.00 WTF

[@mathiasofwassabi123]

What was his time?

[@anonymousstacker2044]

The way he flaps his arms around gives me anxiety... (btw is he hypermobile or just flexible?)

[@darkfox28yt93]

At 11 he went a 26 second!!! That’s crazt

[@thomasjohnson4987]

its honestly really bad, when i was 11 i think i did like 12 seconds maybe, at 12 i did 10 seconds. and butterfly was my weakest stroke

[@darkfox28yt93]

@@thomasjohnson4987 for 50 yards!! 12 seconds is impossible. I assume your talking about 25 yards

[@thomasjohnson4987]

@@darkfox28yt93 no 50 meters

[@darkfox28yt93]

@@thomasjohnson4987 10 second is impossible for 50 meters.

[@thomasjohnson4987]

@@darkfox28yt93 i did it when i was 12 u are mad cuz bad lol XD XD

[@AnnoyingRingtone]

23 hours seems like a lot for a 15 year old in my opinion. I assume you're training for distance events primarily?

[@redfoz1]

im 18 and i have a 36.34. Checkmate good sir!

[@prestonamos867]

last year when I was 12 I went a 27 in the 50 fly