Ten-year-old swimmer Clark Kent Apuada of California has grabbed attention in his sport after finishing first in seven events at the Far West International Swimming Championship, and breaking Michael Phelps‘s own record in the 100-meter butterfly, a record set by the all-time-winningest Olympian back in 1995. And Phelps himself has already become a fan of the young athlete with the famous name.
“Most people just call me Clark, but now when I beat Michael Phelps’ record, they start calling me Superman,” the burgeoning aquatic superstar told CBS News. (Soon, they might also be calling him Aquaman, given the nature of his powers.)
His coach further told CBS that the swimmer is interested in being “a scientist, an Olympic gold medalist for the United States, and a black belt. He’s on track for all of those things.” No big deal.
While the soonest that Apuada could think about heading to the Summer Olympics is 2024 in Paris, France — at which point he will be 16 — Phelps himself already has an eye on the aspiring champion.
“Big congrats to #clarkkent for smashing that meet record,” Phelps tweeted on Tuesday. “Keep it up dude!” (Luckily for everyone involved, Phelps’s own progeny — including two-year-old Boomer and new baby Beckett — may already be practicing in the pool with their famous dad, but they won’t be eligible for Olympic competition until at least 2032 and 2036, respectively.)
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Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com