“That somebody who was in charge can not control this”.
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However, his long-standing coach Bob Bowman was scathing about the situation. “Something is broken and it has to be fixed”.
“We all want clean sports”, the American told a news conference. “But that’s out of my control”. His 18 gold medals, 22 overall medals and five swimming appearances are all records and he’ll seek to add to his overall haul beginning on Saturday. “This has to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever done”.
United States’ Michael Phelps prepares a swimming training session at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016.
It promises to be a poignant punctuation to an Olympic career that may never again be duplicated.
This isn’t the first time Basketball Olympians have traded dorm style rooms for swanky living arrangements while going for the gold.
Shower heads falling off, a lack of electricity, holes in the wall, water issues, robbery – those are just some of the things that both the men and women’s USA basketball teams will not have to worry about during the Olympics.
“I’m really excited to see what he can do at this Olympics”, said Lochte, an 11-times Olympic medallist who has duelled with Phelps throughout their careers. “I want to do it”. “I want to do it'”. “It feels so right to have the most decorated Olympian of all time being our flag bearer and leading us”.
There is no dispute that Phelps is in a better place emotionally than ever.
For Phelps this Olympic journey has been more important than the destination, a trip he has shared with his financee Nicole and infant son Boomer, who will both be in Rio.
Whatever happens, Phelps vows to savour the ride.
The pick seemed obvious – Phelps, after all, is the most decorated athlete in Olympic history and will be competing in his fifth Summer Games – but he was clearly overwhelmed Wednesday after being selected in a vote of American athletes representing each sport. This was to be the beginning of Phelps’s goodbye, the most decorated Olympian of all time holding court with the worldwide media Wednesday, two days before Phelps would carry the American flag in his first Opening Ceremonies, at the start of his fifth and – by all accounts – final Olympics. “I’m really excited”, Ryan Lochte said. But she didn’t realize her worldwide impact until she was named to TIME’s 100 most influential people.
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After retiring from competition following the 2012 Olympics in London, there have been many developments in Phelps’ personal life. His past success amplified his status to rock star and brought the sport along for the ride. “The U.S.is one of the last teams to come out”. His presence at the front of Team U.S.A. won’t hurt on Friday, either, a status endorsed by his teammates. Ledecky shocked the world when she won the 800-meter freestyle in London as a Maryland high-schooler, but over the last four years, the 19-year-old has only further solidified herself as the woman to beat. “He inspired everybody with what he has done in the pool”. I don’t care, I’m saying hi to him’. “And to me, that’s all that matters”.
