United States’ Michael Phelps celebrates with teammates during the medal ceremony for the men’s 4 x 100-meter medley relay final during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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It’s a terrific photo, one of the more powerful imagines from the first week of the Olympics.
Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates after the men’s 4x100m medley relay final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 13, 2016.
Now that he’s stepping away from the pool, the Olympian is ready to focus on his family – fiancee Nicole Johnson and their 3-month-old son, Boomer.
He also said the London Games were his last four years ago only to change his mind. “That’s the difference. Because I knew this was the last time”.
Saturday’s victory came just minutes after the women’s medley relay gave the United States its 1,000th Olympic gold medal at the Summer Games. “It’s not the end of a career, it’s the beginning of a new journey”.
“I didn’t want to have a what if, 15-20 years down the line”, Phelps reflected. “Looking back at the two-plus years spent training, I don’t have anything else that’s left”.
“Katie is just tearing it up”, Phelps said.
“I didn’t want to feel like I was forced to do something”. “I was happy with the way my career ended”.
Britain’s James Guy, who took on Phelps in the butterfly leg of the relay, said he expects to see the American racing at the Toyko 2020 Olympics. As they huddled up prior to the race to go over strategy, they felt the magnitude of the moment, and the weight of what they knew they had to do to help Phelps get his ideal ending. I wanted to challenge myself and see how much more I could do. His relationship with his own father is troubled. The U.S. has won 33 swimming medals at Rio 2016, its most since 33 at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Phelps and his soon-to-be wife intend to continue living in suburban Phoenix, at least for the next couple of years.
Phelps also plans to become a coach there, but he says Baltimore will always be home.
First off, Phelps has won more individual events than any Olympian in history. Britain broke the world record while finishing about 2.2 seconds ahead of the Americans, who set the record earlier Saturday. Several of Phelps’ younger teammates talked of getting his autograph or having posters of him on their wall when they were children. He hopes to to spread swimming onto a more global stage, for reasons of both competition and safety. Phelps dove in, trailing by 0.61 seconds. “I know now that I won’t have that”. I’ve always been so schedule-oriented.
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The comeback produced more success than the 31-year-old expected. Phelps said he’s all done.
