LOS ANGELES: Swimming great Michael Phelps revealed that he has battled severe anxiety and depression for much of his life which drove him to consider suicide after his success at the 2012 Olympics.
Speaking at a mental health conference in Chicago on Tuesday, the 23-time Olympic gold medal winner talked openly about his long battle with crippling depression and is encouraging others to get help like he did.
“After every Olympics I think I fell into a major state of depression,” the 32-year-old Phelps said.
Phelps said he reached rock bottom following the 2012 Olympics in London where he won four gold medals and two silver. For four days he remained in his room without food or sleep.
“I didn’t want to be in the sport anymore,” he said. “I didn’t want to be alive.”
When he hit a low point in his depression, Phelps said, “You do contemplate suicide.”
Over the past two years Phelps has opened up about his struggles. Once again, Phelps said his depression and anxiety problems have been a staple of his life for the past 17 years.
“We’re supposed to be this big, macho, physically strong human beings, but this is not a weakness,” he said. “We are seeking and reaching for help.”
Phelps won his first gold medal in 2004 at the Athens Olympic Games. That same year the 15-year-old from Baltimore experienced his first “depression spell.”
Phelps said as he got older his depression led to his abusing drugs and alcohol.
In 2008, after winning a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, Phelps was photographed smoking from a bong. He has also been arrested twice for drink driving.
“It would be just me self-medicating myself, basically daily, to try to fix whatever it was that I was trying to run from,” he said.
Phelps isn’t the first Olympic national hero to battle dark demons outside the pool.
Australian Ian Thorpe, who broke 22 world records, wrote in his 2012 autobiography that not only did he consider suicide but he planned ways and places to do it in.
Like Phelps, Thorpe chose to “self-medicate” with alcohol to try and manage his vicious mood swings and silence the horrible thoughts going through his head.
In an interview with CNN this week, Phelps said he wants to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness.
“(Mental illness) has a stigma around it and that’s something we still deal with every day,” said Phelps. “I think people actually finally understand it is real. People are talking about it and I think this is the only way that it can change.”
Phelps retired after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio as the most decorated Olympian of all-time, winning 28 Olympics medals.
Michael Phelps opens up about battling anxiety, depression
Michael Phelps opens up about battling anxiety, depression
Five things to look out for at the AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals in Jeddah
- Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli face off in an all-Saudi clash on Tuesday, while Al-Nassr take on Kawasaki Frontale of Japan the following day
LONDON: Three Saudi Arabian teams entered the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite in Jeddah, and all three progressed to the last four. On Tuesday, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal meet in the first semi-final while, 24 hours later, Al-Nassr take on Kawasaki Frontale of Japan. Here are five things to look out for as the continent’s premier club competition reaches its climax.
Al-Dawsari the main man for Al-Hilal
The headlines wrote themselves after Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju FC 7-0 on Friday. A team that had looked uncharacteristically shaky on the home front was suddenly back to doing its favorite thing, winning big in big Asian games.
Coach Jorge Jesus would have been delighted with the fact that all seven goals against the South Koreans were scored by different players. Perhaps the best was Salem Al-Dawsari’s effort as he moved to nine goals for the tournament so far. That is an incredible effort for a player who is not a striker and is surrounded by players who love nothing more than to get on the scoresheet.
So for all the famous foreign talent, it is a very familiar face that Al-Ahli will have to be wary of on Tuesday. Al-Dawsari is in some of the best form of an exceptional career. He will take some stopping and, on Friday’s evidence, so will Al-Hilal.
Recent Ahli win means nothing but Firmino on fire
“Bring on Al-Hilal” chanted the Al-Ahli fans as their team defeated Buriram United 3-0 on Saturday.
Understandably so. It was just a few weeks ago that Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick to give the Greens a famous 3-2 win over the Blues in Riyadh. That will give the Jeddah giants confidence but will not actually mean that much when the two teams take the pitch in Jeddah. Beating Al-Hilal once a season is not easy, twice is special.
Yet Al-Hilal will know that they lost to a team without Roberto Firmino because the former Liverpool star is not registered for the Saudi Pro League. The Brazilian took out the frustration of prolonged inactivity on Buriram on Saturday with a top-class display of attacking vision, creativity and no small goal threat.
It has been a mixed season for “Bobby” but if he can down Al-Hilal and take Al-Ahli to a third final and a first title then his status as club legend will be assured.
Al-Nassr look to Ronaldo to make it an all-Saudi final
Al-Nassr made short work of Yokohama F. Marinos, winning 4-1 against the Japanese team. The only downside was the late goal conceded.
To be honest, Stefano Pioli’s men were not tested too much and swept aside the visitors in waves of attacks in the first half. Jhon Duran scored twice and his cutting edge will be needed in the next game. Yokohama are bottom of the J. League and were poor defensively. Kawasaki Frontale will not be quite as generous.
The pressure is on the Yellows. They have never been Asian champions. If they lose here then the season is almost over given that they are eight points behind an Al-Ittihad team that is resting and recovering while its title rivals are playing in Asia.
The likes of Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte have won big prizes but none more so than Cristiano Ronaldo. His experience and leadership will be crucial. Losing at the semi-final stage is always painful but will be especially so with the knowledge that there is a Saudi Arabian rival waiting.
Kawasaki ready to learn from other easterners
The Japanese team have underachieved in Asia in their past 10 appearances but eventually made it to the semi-finals for the first time on Sunday with a 3-2 win over Al-Sadd. After three disappointing results from East Asian teams in the previous two days, it is good for the competition that there is a representative from the other side of the continent.
Kawasaki are up against it. Al-Nassr have had an extra day’s rest and the Japanese team had to go into extra-time. Al-Nassr have the home support too. Yet all that means there is little pressure on the four-time J. League champions.
In the other three quarterfinals, all the Saudi Arabian teams scored early and the games were soon over. Kawasaki will be determined not to make the same mistakes. If they can keep it tight then the tension and frustration may grow.
It is not the first all-Saudi Champions League semi-final
This is the first time in the tournament’s history that three teams from one country are in the last four. The Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli semi-final is not, however, the first time that Saudi Arabian teams have met at this stage.
In 2012 there was the Jeddah derby. Al-Ittihad defeated their local rivals Al-Ahli 1-0 thanks to Naif Hazazi. The second leg was at the same Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium. Al-Ittihad were ready to get to another final but ended up losing 2-0. Moataz Al-Mousa scored just before the break and then, as extra-time loomed, Victor Simoes won it for the Greens who then lost 3-0 to Ulsan of South Korea in the final.
In 2021, it was time for the Riyadh derby, a one-legged affair. Moussa Marega put Al-Hilal ahead in the first half. Soon after the restart, Talisca equalized for Al-Nassr and then, with 20 minutes remaining, Salem Al-Dawsari struck to score one of the most famous goals of his career to send the Blues to the final where they went on to win a fourth crown.
He will be looking to do something similar on Tuesday.
‘No-foul call’ controversy as Knicks escape Pistons’ last-second shot for 3–1 lead
- While the Knicks push through to the playoffs, fans in Abu Dhabi have reason to get excited with 2 pre-season games against the 76ers this October
DUBAI: For the second straight game, the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons went down to the wire. The Knicks had secured a 118–116 win in Game 3, and Game 4 was just as dramatic on Sunday.
With the Pistons down by one point, the ball was batted around in the final seconds and ended up in Tim Hardaway Jr.’s hands. He shot a three-pointer just before the buzzer and drew some contact from New York’s Josh Hart that was not called a foul.
Had the shot gone in, or had a foul been called, it could have won the game for Detroit, but instead, the Knicks sealed a 3–1 series lead.
NBA referee David Guthrie commented to a pool reporter after the game: “During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play.
“After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called.”
The Knicks and Pistons have delivered a highly competitive and nail-biting series so far.
As former New York Knicks player Joakim Noah described it: “They’re in for a real fight against the Detroit Pistons.”
Speaking in Abu Dhabi at the BRED Festival on Thursday, Noah predicted a tense first-round series. “The playoffs are the pinnacle of our sport, and the intensity is very high.
“The Knicks are a good team, they’re very well-coached. But the playoffs are about matchups,” he said
Describing the Pistons, Noah said: “This is a young team that lost a lot last year, and when you lose that much, it brings a different kind of pain. The Pistons carried that pain this year, and they’ve had a great season.
“Now they get to play on the big stage. I think the New York Knicks are a very good team, but they’re up against a real battle right now against the Pistons.”
The No. 3-seed Knicks and No. 6-seed Pistons will face off again in Game 5 of their first-round playoffs series, with the former returning home and looking to advance to the second round on April 29.
Meanwhile, fans in Abu Dhabi have reason to be excited.
Later this year, the Knicks will face the Philadelphia 76ers in The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ, organized in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
The two iconic teams will be in action across two preseason games, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 4, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
While the preseason games in Abu Dhabi are not a part of the official NBA season, they remain highly competitive and thrilling for fans.
As Noah described it, even in pre-season, seeing great talents like Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks) live, rather than just on TV or social media, is powerful and inspiring.
Reflecting on his own experience, Noah, who began his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls before joining the Knicks, said: “I remember for me personally, I saw Michael Jordan play in Paris in ’97 when I was 10 years old.
“And I felt so blessed to be able to be in that gym, and that moment to me, it changed my life. I wanted to play for the Chicago Bulls since I was 9 years old, and I got to see Michael Jordan play with the Chicago Bulls, and I was like, OK, this is it. This is what I want to do.”
Japan, Malaysia off to flying start at Sudirman Cup
- Malaysia, who are also chasing a first Sudirman Cup title, opened with a victory for their men’s doubles pair before Goh Jin Wei and Leong Jun Hao won their respective singles matches to take the tie
XIAMEN: Japan got off to a flying start in their bid for a first Sudirman Cup title by thrashing Australia 5-0, while Group C rivals Malaysia thumped France by the same score at the biennial mixed team competition on Monday.
Japan got on the board through mixed doubles pair Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito before teenager Tomoka Miyazaki won her singles match 21-12 21-9 against Tiffany Ho. Kodai Naraoka sealed the tie with his men’s singles win over Jack Yu.
Japan finished runners-up in 2015, 2019 and 2021.
Malaysia, who are also chasing a first Sudirman Cup title, opened with a victory for their men’s doubles pair before Goh Jin Wei and Leong Jun Hao won their respective singles matches to take the tie.
In Group B, South Korea lost their men’s singles match when Jeon Hyeok-jin went down 21-10 23-21 to Canada’s Victor Lai, but the four-times champions got back on level terms through Paris Olympic women’s champion An Se-young before winning the remaining three matches.
The South Koreans are in a strong position to finish inside the top two and qualify for the quarter-finals of the April 27-May 4 tournament as they now top the group with two points, having beaten Czech Republic 4-1 on Sunday.
In the evening session, defending champions China will resume their quest for a record-extending 14th title against Hong Kong while Taiwan will face Czech Republic and Thailand will take on Algeria.
Kohli highlights importance of partnerships after Bengaluru top IPL table
- Kohli made a steady 51 while Krunal Pandya sparkled with an unbeaten 73 from 47 balls as Bengaluru beat Delhi Capitals with six wickets and nine balls remaining on Sunday
BENGALURU: Twenty20 cricket is fast becoming a stage for explosive batsmen but Virat Kohli reminded fans of the value of building solid partnerships and rotating strike after taking Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the Indian Premier League summit.
Kohli made a steady 51 while Krunal Pandya sparkled with an unbeaten 73 from 47 balls as Bengaluru beat Delhi Capitals with six wickets and nine balls remaining on Sunday.
The duo put on 119 runs for the fourth wicket and Kohli said it had given his team the perfect platform to seal their seventh victory of the campaign.
“People, I think, are forgetting the importance of stitching partnerships or going deep into the innings in T20 cricket,” the former India captain said after helping his side chase down 163 on a two-paced surface.
“I think this year, you’re seeing that you can’t just come out and tee off from ball one. You need to have professionalism, to read the situation and try and get into a position where you can start dominating the bowlers.
“For that, you need to string a partnership. It won’t come easy on a slow pitch if you don’t know how to rotate the strike. So that’s pretty much my method.”
Kohli’s half-century was his sixth of the season and fourth while chasing, taking his run tally this season to 443.
“Whenever there’s a chase on or there’s a situation I go in, I keep checking with the dugout whether we’re on course, what is my role, what is the kind of innings I need to play,” he added.
Bengaluru will host five-times champions Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.
Champions League semifinals: Barcelona-Inter revives memories of 2010 epic and Arsenal hosts PSG
The free-flowing attack of Barcelona comes up against the rugged, smothering defense of Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinals.
Ring any bells?
Go back to 2010 — when Lamine Yamal was not even 3 years old and Lionel Messi was close to his prime — and Camp Nou was the scene of one of the most memorable matches in Champions League history, between the same teams going head-to-head there again on Wednesday.
Protecting a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Inter — coached at the time by Jose Mourinho — delivered a defensive masterclass against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to survive with 10 men for more than an hour and lose just 1-0 to progress to the title match.
Memories will come flooding back ahead of the rematch this week, especially with the two protagonists owning the same traits as 15 years ago.
Barcelona is back in the Champions League semifinals for the first time since the 2018-19 season, on the back of by far the best attack in the new-look, 36-team league stage. With Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski up front, Barca scored 28 goals in eight games — and has netted nine more goals in eliminating Benfica and Borussia Dortmund in the knockouts.
Then there’s Inter, the Italian champion, which conceded just once in eight games in the first stage and held on grimly to oust Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
Inter won the 2010 final, against Bayern, for a third European Cup title so its run toward the final this season has echoes of that title-winning campaign.
Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain
While the Barcelona-Inter Milan semifinal is awash with history, this one seems relatively fresh.
Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have met just three times in the Champions League and never in the knockout stage. One of those occasions was this season, when Arsenal won 2-0 at Emirates Stadium.
And it’s at home that the Gunners play on Tuesday in the first leg, hoping to reproduce the exploits that saw them beat defending champion Real Madrid in both legs in the quarterfinals.
Their opponents, however, are aiming to eliminate an English opponent for the third straight round, after seeing off Liverpool and — less impressively — Aston Villa.
With its “galacticos” — Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Messi — long gone, PSG is bidding to win a first Champions League title by going with talented up-and-coming players instead.
Arsenal is also striving to become European champion for the first time, having not reached the semis since 2009.
