After the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps had announced he was retiring and Lochte said Ohelps would come back.
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Phelps will go for a fifth gold of the 2016 Games in the 100 metre butterfly as the most decorated Olympian in history seeks to add to his career tally of 22.
The US star claimed the 22nd Olympic gold of his Olympic career Thursday after powering past the opposition in the final of the 200-meter individual medley.
A 12-time Olympic medalist, Lochte had settled for two silvers and a bronze behind Phelps at the last three Olympics in this event.
“This medal is not just for me”, she said.
“I’m just ecstatic. I need it to sink in”.
This time, she was limited to a single gold, which came for swimming the preliminaries of the 4×200 freestyle relay. But as fast as he could swim, Phelps couldn’t outstroke controversy with a second arrest for driving under the influence two years ago. It’s been a privilege to watch every one of his gold medals, but I don’t think I’ve seen one as emotional as that one.
Phelps, who now has 27 medals, had been hoping to win the event for the fourth successive Games.
“I’ve been able to kind of finish how I wanted to”, Phelps said.
On Friday, he will compete in the final of the 100m butterfly and he is expected to also take part in the 4x100m medley relay.
2016 Rio Olympics – Swimming – Final – Men’s 200m Individual Medley Final – Olympic Aquatics Stadium – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 11/08/2016. Stanford alumna Maya DiRado advanced to the 200 backstroke finals but former Cal star Missy Franklin – the world-record holder and defending Olympic champion – failed to make the final eight.
At 31, and with a bevy of younger swimmers eager to claim a victory over a hero, Phelps’ prospects in Rio were unclear.
DiRado’s upset denied Hosszu a fourth gold in Rio, and capped off a remarkable one-and-done Olympics for the American.
” All my hard work has paid off and I am really happy about it”. “And I’m really glad that I could do that”.
Japan’s Rie Kaneto blazed to gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, clocking 2:20.30 to deny two-time doping offender Yulia Efimova.
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China’s Wang Shun was third in 1:57.05.
