But gold medals are not Phelps’ only priority as he leads one of America’s youngest ever Olympic swimming teams in Rio.
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Michael Phelps’ final individual Olympic race ended in silver, when he was beaten into second place in the 100-metre butterfly by Joseph Schooling.
The year 2016 has been an awesome year for Michael Phelps. Phelps, 31, pulled away to finish in 1:54.66 and win the 22nd gold medal in his record-setting career.
In what’s becoming an every-four-year event, Michael Phelps has emerged as one of – if not the – biggest stories at the Rio Olympics so far.
Leonidas won 12 individual events over four Olympics.
Posting on Facebook after the race, Mr Lee told the swimmer, who beat record-holder Michael Phelps to win the 100m butterfly event, that “you made us very proud today”.
Which is not to say the victories have come easily.
Astonishingly, all three had touched out in 51.14 seconds, behind Schooling’s Olympic record 50.39 in the second dead-heat in a final in two days.
“I tried to do as much as I could, get my lactate cleared, had a massage, had an ice bath, eat”, Phelps said after winning gold in the 4×100 freestyle relay. “I only get to put a racing suit on two more times after tonight”. He’s consistently used words like “final” and “last” when describing races this week.
BRONZE BOXER: Nico Hernandez’s chance for a gold medal ended Friday when he lost to Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov by unanimous decision. “That was a real breakthrough for me to be able to win that one”. By the end of the day, the men’s 50m freestyle champ will be crowned, as one swimmer will leave Rio with the best kind of souvenir – a gold medal!
Right as Friedman said that, Phelps name came up as the victor. “Him and I have literally duked it out back and forth and back and forth”. But fellow US swimmer Ryan Lochte, both a good friend and a worthy adversary, finds it hard to believe Phelps won’t jump back into the pool when the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo roll around.
Earlier, Britain’s Chloe Tutton came back from eighth at halfway in an outside lane to touch 0.06sec from a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke final.
“We’re kinda getting things rolling, I’ve been planning as we’ve been leading up to [the Olympics]…”
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“I’ve spent more than half my life in a swimming pool”.
