“I have done it (cupping) for a while but I haven’t had bad ones like this for a while”, Phelps said of the welts, which caused a stir among TV viewers when Phelps made his Rio debut on Sunday in the men’s 4×100 metre freestyle final.
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“It was a tough race, I knew she was going to go fast”.
Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time has already topped the podium in Rio after the USA’s 4x100m win, and will now go for individual glory at the age of 31. His parents, both battling cancer, are watching him in Rio.
The two will face off again Tuesday night in the 200-meter butterfly final. He won gold in the event in 2004 and 2008, but fell short in 2012. The U.S. men, who took gold in the 4×100-meter free with Phelps a member of the team, hold the world and Olympic records in the 200.
Ledecky was second in the semifinals behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, gold medalist in the 100 butterfly. “It was about getting my lane for tomorrow”, said Ledecky, after finishing behind Sjostrom in Monday’s semi-finals.
Ledecky set a world record as she won the 400m freestyle and the 19-year-old American is gunning for the first 200m, 400m and 800m treble in 48 years. Harsh words have been directed as athletes such as Yulina Efimova and Sun Yang, who previously served doping suspensions.
“Just got a couple hours of sleep but I think that was probably going to be my hardest swim of the week so I’m glad it’s over with”.
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“It’s sad that today in sports in general, not just only swimming, there are people who are testing positive who are allowed back in the sport – and multiple times”.
