It wasn’t until Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Tim Layden did a profile on Michael Phelps that I was truly captivated by what he wrote. I then realized how diverse his portfolio is and I thouroughly enjoy reading his work.
In my opinion, it’s hard to write about Layden without discussing the brilliance of this Phelps story. We all know Phelps and his life has always been particularly public, but this story dug deeper than any other piece I have read on Phelps. Phelps’ father has always been a somewhat ominous and mysterious character, so for Layden to include direct quotes from him in this story shows reporting and trust above and beyond any previous profiles. The timing of the piece was perfect; less than one week before the announcement that Phelps and fiancee Nicole Johnson were expected. It turned a new leaf for the previously troubled swimmer and opened the eyes of the world to a Michael Phelps that had never been seen before.
Another stellar piece by Layden is this backgrounder on Aries Merritt. Merritt, an Olympic hurdler, underwent a kidney transplant before the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. An otherwise quiet story, Layden again, dug deeper to show compelling details to the reader. The scene setting in this article is second-to-none and Layden does a phenomenal job telling the story of overcoming. Although Merritt did not qualify for the 2016 Olympic Team, the story is still strong enough to stand on its own. I amazed by Layden’s attention to detail that is weaved within the story telling. It is easy to tell that he spent significant time with not only Merritt himself, but also his family.