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. The USA has never been cheated with Phelps in the water.
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I’ve had the opportunity to be on some of the greatest relays of all time.
“I think you could tell: I was more emotional after the relay this time than I was the last time”, Phelps told NBC after the race.
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.
Afterward, Phelps spoke as if it was indeed goodbye.
Farah says “I’d promised my older daughter Rihanna I was going to get a medal for her and in my mind I was thinking I can’t let her down”. Watching him swim was incredible. But the butterfly is Phelps’ signature stroke.
Then Phelps began moving those muscular arms of his, the arms of conquering churn. Connor Jaeger gave the USA another silver in the 1,500 free.
After that, there was no way freestyler Nathan Adrian of Cal was going to allow the U.S. to lose.
In addition to Phelps and Ledecky, the biggest US stars were Maya DiRado, who turned in the ultimate one-and-done with two golds and four medals overall; Ryan Murphy, who extended usa men’s dominance of the backstroke; Simone Manuel, the first African-American woman to win a gold medal with her victory in the 100 free, plus another gold in the women’s 4×100 medley relay; Lilly King, who backed up her brash diatribe against doping; and Anthony Ervin, the oldest member of the team at 35 and a gold medalist again in the 50 free 16 years after he first won the event in Sydney.
Murphy set the pace in the first leg of the men’s race, setting a new backstroke world record of 51.85 seconds, as Britain’s Chris Walker-Hebbon finished his stint in sixth.
Phelps just looked drained.
What was this all about? He is the fourth Olympian (the third from the United States) to win an individual event four times.
“It’s insane. A lot better than what it was four years ago”.
He would finish his career with 28 medals overall, having won five golds and a silver at these games. Phelps’ performance Saturday provided a final example of why they don’t want him to leave.
American Jeff Henderson took the long jump gold medal by overtaking Luvo Manyonga of South Africa by one centimeter on his last jump.
“Just being on the podium is an awesome honor”. “It’s disappointing not to come away with the result I wanted but it just didn’t work out on the day”. This was the actual cherry on top of the cake.
Yet count me among those who think that Saturday might not be the actual finish line.
GOODBYE GREEN: They’re going to drain what’s been dubbed “the swamp” at the Rio Olympics.
Murphy believes Phelps is officially done.
“I hope this paves a new road for sports in Singapore”, Schooling said. She broke her own world records in both the 400m and 800m events, and continued her remarkable worldwide competition win streak.
Olympic gold-medal history was crafted for Puerto Rico by a 22-year-old tennis player, who was born in San Juan and moved to Miami as an infant.
Phelps put the United States ahead to stay on the butterfly leg of the 4×100-meter medley relay, giving the most decorated athlete in Olympic history his 23rd career gold medal Saturday night.
That afternoon in 2014 as he answered questions on the Santa Clara International Swim Center pool deck, Phelps had a full beard and mustache. “Something keeps drawing me back into the water”. And when the Olympics are done, they’ll be remembered as the latest in a long line of US swimming powerhouses.
Phelps’ long-time coach Bob Bowman added: “I’m not even looking for another one like him – he’s too special”. But the evidence is the evidence.
These are supposed to be the last Olympic Games for Phelps, who also retired and came back after more than a year off. I was the best in the heats but tonight he was better. When Phelps is that same age, I think we will see him in Tokyo.
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He continued to walk and wave to the Americans, the Brazilians, the Australians, everyone in the crowd who had stuck around for almost an hour after the race to salute Phelps.
