RIO DE JANEIRO-Michael Phelps captured his 20th Olympic gold medal in dramatic fashion Tuesday, sealing victory with a kiss from baby son Boomer, before adding a staggering 21st before the night was over.
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Michael Phelps is undoubtedly one of the greatest Olympians that the world has ever seen, and he’s the most decorated Olympian of all time as well.
South African Chad le Clos had shocked Phelps, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion, by winning gold ahead of his idol at the London 2012 Games.
Four years ago, Phelps mistimed his finish in the swooping stroke he does better than anyone, gliding to the wall a little too long after his final stroke.
After winning the individual event, he returned to the pool an hour later to ease the U.S. to victory in the 4x200m freestyle and win his third gold in Rio. Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi took bronze in 1:53.62.
“That’s a lot of medals”, Phelps said, shaking his head.
Some, however, carry far more significance than others.
“We are competitors. I don’t want him to win and I’m sure he does not want me to win”.
“That event was kind of like my bread and butter”, Phelps said.
“It’s kind of been a insane last couple days”.
Making up for one of the few losses in his staggering career, Phelps held off Japan’s Masato Sakai by a mere four-hundredths of a second.
Milking the acclaim of the crowd, Phelps climbed, Wimbledon tennis-style, past a bank of poolside photographers to kiss little Boomer and fiancée Nicole Johnson after an emotional medals ceremony.
By then none of that mattered.
The camera showed le Clos boxing and bouncing around while warming up.
With all eyes on the two big men on the blocks, both avoided eye contact as they waited to step up, standing nearly back to back.
The American crushed fierce rival Chad le Clos to regain his 200 meters butterfly title in a dust-up bristling with tension, celebrating by pointing to the sky and gesturing to the Rio crowd to “bring the noise” – an order they duly obeyed.
The American then used his mighty “wingspan” to forge ahead into clear water.
Cseh began to fade, with Le Clos moving into second at the 150 metre-mark but the South African could not match Phelps in the final lap, with the American punching the air in delight after stepping out.
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He laughed out loud on the podium, amused by friends in the crowd shouting out the familiar “O” for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team while the USA basketball team looked on, and kissed the medal.
