The first matches of the men’s tournament will take place on Thursday, with Brazilian superstar Neymar spearheading the host nation’s quest for a first ever Olympic gold medal – the only global title every to elude the five-time World Cup winners.
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THE greatest Olympian of all-time Michael Phelps has condemned the entire sporting world for failing to conquer the war on drugs as his fifth Olympic Games at Rio descends further into a doping farce.
Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals, is the second swimmer to serve as flag bearer after Gary Hall did so in Montreal in 1976. Brazil’s women began their quest for a first Olympic soccer title against China, a day before the men’s team opens against South Africa in the capital Brasilia.
The legendary swimmer was selected by a vote of USA athletes.
For the first time, Phelps is serving as a team captain at the Olympics.
But the 31-year-old Phelps, who retired from swimming after the London Games but quickly reversed that decision, has continually stressed that his desire to compete in another Olympics – and he insists this really will be the final one – has little to do with collecting more gold.
“Although people say we don’t have to go and win the gold, for me, as someone who has played at other Olympics, won two silvers and come close to the gold, I think we are obliged to win it”, said Brazil striker Cristiane.
DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan are the tallest athletes on the US team at 6 feet, 11 inches.
Now, he’s received an even bigger accolade.
Phelps will compete in the men’s 100m and 200m butterfly, as well as the 200m individual medley. But he has continually stressed that his desire to compete in another Olympics had little to do with collecting more gold.
Then there’s his personal life, which has endured a series of missteps including a second drunken-driving arrest in 2014.
“I’ve been able to experience things that I probably didn’t really notice or I took for granted in the past”, Phelps said.
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The battled raged on Wednesday as the Olympics torch reached Rio, a scenic, beach-side city that has long struggled with violent drug crime in the hillside slums that surround it.
