Rio de Janeiro, August 14 (IANS) Michael Phelps won his fifth gold of the Rio Olympics and his 23rd overall as he powered the U.S. team to a win in the 4×100-meter medley relay on Saturday night in what he said was the final race of his career. But it also sparked a turnaround in his life.
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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.
“When I went down, I thought, ‘Oh my God, that is it.’ I just got up and wanted to stick with the guys and stay strong”, Farah said after the match.
The US’ two victories on Saturday gave them 16 out of a possible 32 swimming gold medals here. “Being able to cap it off with these Games is just the ideal way to finish”.
After the 2012 London Olympics, which he had declared to be his last, Phelps walked away with not only the regret that he simply went through the motions but like many athletes in retirement, he appeared lost and unprepared.
That renewed relationship has taken on even greater resonance since Phelps himself became a father when fiancee Nicole Johnson gave birth to their son, Boomer, in May.
The comeback endured a huge setback with his second drunken-driving arrest in 2014, which led to Phelps being banned from the world championships the following year.
Even his lone silver – to Singapore sensation Joseph Schooling in the 100m fly – carried a whiff of the extraordinary: it was a rare three-way tie with le Clos and Phelps’s longtime Hungarian rival Laszlo Cseh.
“That was nice to see, actually”, said Bowman, adding that in the past he would have counselled Phelps not to bask in the moment but to “build the fire up in you while you’re hearing the national anthem”.
Phelps sounds much more adamant when he says his swimming career really is over.
Standing atop the medal podium for the 23rd time, listening the “The Star-Spangled Banner” as he’s done so many times before, Phelps teared up a bit and gave a little nod.
Phelps soaked up aspects of the Olympic experience he previously ignored – serving as a captain on the USA team for the first time and carrying the United States flag at the opening ceremony he had never before attended. “I wrote my parents an email this morning just saying thank you and I started bawling on my bed and then my roommates came in and comforted me”.
Two-time gold medalist Murphy put the Americans out front with a world-record split on the backstroke – it counts since he was leading off – but Britain surged ahead on the breaststroke with its own world-record holder, Adam Peaty.
The US also won gold in the women’s 4x100m medley relay while Denmark’s Pernille Blume and Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri claimed the first swimming gold medals for their respective countries at these Games.
The honor of reaching the milestone was shared by Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer and Simone Manuel, who got to the wall first ahead of Australia.
Their relationship hit rock bottom as London approached, but Bowman said Phelps in Rio is really changed.
Michael Phelps left the Olympic pool for the last time on Saturday having fulfilled a childhood dream, but it is clear he will not be walking away from the sport that has turned him into a global household name.
“I mean 1,000 gold for the United States of America is a nice number”.
Australia, represented by Mitchell Larkin, Jake Packard, David Morgan and Kyle Chalmers, took bronze in 3:29.93. He did not win any medal in his first Games in Sydney.
Connor Jaeger gave the US another silver in the 1,500 free, leaving the American with 33 swimming medals in Rio – matching the highest total since they captured 34 against a depleted field at the boycotted Los Angeles Games of 1984.
Denmark’s Pernille Blume beat a field of world and Olympic champions to take gold in the women’s 50 freestyle and Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri won the men’s 1,500 freestyle after dominating nearly from the start.
Ervin won his first gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, tying teammate Gary Hall Jr. for the top spot.
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This list of 62 does not include the 44 countries that have participated without winning any gold medals.
