2008 Beijing Olympics

Olympic fervor is in full force following the 8th gold medal of uber fast Michael Phelps. Now try saying that 8 times in a row really fast... Aside from his 12,000 calorie per day diet and incredibly hard training regime, what makes Michael Phelps so incredibly fast?

I've read various discussion on his genetic attributes. For starters, his arm span is actually longer than his height which essentially means that he has tremendously long arms. Additionally, he's quite tall at approximately 6'4". His feet? Something like size 14 which means that he has natural flippers. Overall, his body is long and narrow which creates less drag and apparently he has legs that are relatively short compared to his height which creates a hydrofoil effect. In interviews, he often credits and refers to his effective use of his "dolphin kick."

To be certain, no one can or will ever win 8 gold medals at the Olympics with simply a hard worth ethic alone. Clearly, there has to be something in his genes that just makes him faster.