The first day of track and field yielded a couple firsts for the United States: Michelle Carter is not only the first female American to take gold in the shot put, but she and her father Michael (who won silver in 1984 before embarking on an National Football League career) are the first-ever father-daughter team to capture individual-event track and field medals.
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Michael Phelps congratulates Joseph Schooling.
Like many of his contemporaries in Rio, who grew up idolizing Phelps, he keeps an old photo of himself as a bespectacled teenager with the American that was taken at a meeting in Singapore after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Record-breaker Michael Phelps will climb onto the blocks for the final race of his astonishing Olympic career on Saturday after proving once again in Rio that nobody does it better. “I’m standing by that”. Gary Antuanne Russell and Vargas are still alive in their weight divisions, and top medal hope Shakur Stevenson doesn’t even begin competition until Sunday.
“Done. (South African co-silver medalist) Chad (Le Clos) asked me in the award area and the Dwyers were chanting “four more years”. He also won team gold in the 4×100- and 4×200-meter freestyle relays, along with Saturday’s 4×100-meter medley relay.
Phelps, meanwhile, can see the end and despite the near miss on Friday has had a monster meet, though he’s feeling it now. “I told him to go four more years and he said ‘No way'”.
“I’ve been able to do everything I’ve ever put my mind to in the sport”.
When Phelps climbed, like a Wimbledon tennis champion, past a bank of poolside photographers to kiss fiancee Nicole and baby Boomer, the Brazilian crowd erupted.
He’s ready to move on, and this time he really seems to mean it. “I just wanted to execute my races as best I could and enjoy the process”.
“I’m ready to retire”.
Even with a hugely disappointing performance by Franklin, who didn’t even make it to the final of her two individual events, the Americans still blew everyone away.
With four events still to come in the final late-night session, the Americans already had 14 golds – their most since the Sydney Games – and 29 medals overall.
They clasped hands and stepped up together.
During their final training session in Atlanta, a host of swimmers – Phelps and Ryan Lochte among them – took to the streets to record a James Cordin-style carpool karaoke video. “I don’t know what to believe, like, whether I actually did it or I’m still preparing for my race”.
“That’s pretty insane, what happens in eight years”, said Schooling, who attends the University of Texas. “I’m just proud to be part of that history”.
The Olympian, who has so far won a record-breaking 22 gold medals during his professional career, clarified, “I have two laps left in my career so I am happy and I’m excited and looking forward to tomorrow”. Joseph Schooling of the Philippines won gold in 50.39.
Four years ago, she seemingly came out nowhere to capture gold as a 15-year-old at the London Games.
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American Maya DiRado denied Hungarian Katinka Hosszu a record-equalling fourth individual gold in a 200m backstroke thriller.
