One More Shot At Stardom - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Let the Games Begin.

Oh wait they already have. Hard to forget after the lack of support and harsh reactions directed at one of the greatest athletes in the world.

We all knew coming into the 2012 London Olympics that it was going to be the last few starting block jitters and off the wall streamlines for Michael Phelps.

And we certainly knew at one point since his stardom at the 2008 Beijing Games that he doubted even competing in these 2012 games.

When Phelps made the decision to give it "one more chance" in 2012, we didn't know whether he would be able to maintain his level of excellence that he's achieved since he was a 15 year old boy in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Let me bring you up to Olympic speed if you aren't there yet: Before these games began, Phelps had earned 16 Olympic Medals (14 Gold and 2 Bronze).

He is a freak of nature in the water, no doubt about it.

However, after day one of these Games, Phelps didn't even make it to the podium in the 400 Individual Medley.

Oh boy.

And the only way to describe day one: It was like the world was coming to an end and Phelps was the worst human being to walk the planet.

So sad, but that's how it was.

All I continue to hear is that Phelps should have "just given it up" after his success in Beijing.

Or that "he is a failure."

News flash: You just "don't give it up." It doesn't work that way.

Phelps has five more races, including two which are his bread and butter: the butterfly.

And after last nights 4X100 Meter freestyle relay (which Phelps had the fastest split 100 time out of anyone else in the pool minus France's Yannick Agnel who did his job of moving the USA down one notch on the podium ) Phelps showed he hasn't given up, and his time to shine is may still come again.

For an athlete like Phelps, or any Olympian for that matter, they didn't get to the world's biggest stage overnight.

It's a way of life.

Three more medals in these games for Michael Phelps and he beats the all time record set by Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina who competed between 1956 and 1964.

You tell me that wouldn't keep you from "just giving up."

If you say it would, I call your bluff!!!!