The success in Rio de Janeiro fueled speculation that Phelps would relent on retirement once again and return for the Tokyo Olympics in four years.
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Nathan Adrian surged off the block for the freestyle leg, and the Americans celebrated Phelps’ 23rd career gold medal.
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“This is the way I wanted to finish my career”, he said.
Nicole Johnson, fiance of United States’ Michael Phelps, holds their baby Boomer, as she stands along with Phelps’ mother Debbie and sister during the men’s 4 x 100-meter medley relay final during the swimming competitions at th. In Rio, he won three relays, the 200-meter individual medley, the 200-meter butterfly and received silver in the 100-meter butterfly. Between the race, the victory celebration on the podium and the post-race media session, Phelps was worn out. “Come on”, as they laughed sarcastically. “Katie’s doing her thing and she’s breaking records every time she gets in the pool”. This is it. I’m done. “I was happy with the way my career ended”. There’s no better way than finishing with a gold medal. “Hopefully for me I can find someone who has the passion and the desire and the drive that I had as a swimmer and be able to kind of really go after their goals”.
NBC’s total audience delivery rating encompassing NBC, cable and streaming viewing, reached 26.8 million for Saturday, which was still down from the comparable night at the 2012 London Olympics (28 million).
Blume won in 24.07 with Manuel adding silver to her surprise 100m gold with a time of 24.09 and Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus, the London runner-up previously banned for doping, taking bronze.
The Americans completed a haul of 33 medals in the pool including 16 golds, with Australia and Hungary trailing on three golds each.
Caeleb Dressel, who swam with the Bolles club program but attended Clay High School, won gold Sunday swimming with Phelps in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Michael Phelps closed out the Rio Olympics in the only way imaginable golden. She shattered her own world records in both the 400m and 800m.
“I’m not going four more years and I’m standing by that”, Phelps said.
Phelps glared at Ledecky, lowered his head and laughed.
“I have a feeling it’s not”, Lauer said.
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“This all started and began with one little dream as a kid, to try to change the sport of swimming and do something no one else has ever done – and it turned out pretty cool”, Phelps said. “He’s really been a leader on this team and that’s why we came away with all these medals”.
