Rio de Janeiro, Aug 12: Michael Phelps said on Friday that he was grateful for the chance to finish his glittering career on his own terms after setting a new Olympic record in Rio.
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“Done. (South African co-silver medallist) Chad (Le Clos) asked me in the award area and the Dwyers were chanting “four more years”.
“I’ve been able to do everything I’ve ever put my mind to in this sport”. I’m ready to retire and I’m happy about it.
Racing in adjacent lanes in the second semi-final, Phelps clocked one minute, 55.78 seconds and Lochte 1:56.28, a turnaround from the morning heats where Lochte was first and Phelps third.
That meant winning back the men’s 200m butterfly title that Le Clos took from him four years ago, and he declared “mission achieved” on that last Wednesday. And he is not finished yet: on Friday he will race in the 100m butterfly and on Saturday he could win another gold in the 4x100m medley relay, which would be the 31-year-old’s farewell race.
Rio de Janeiro, Aug 12: USA swimmer Simone Manuel and Canada’s Penny Oleksiak tied for the gold medal in the women’s 100m freestyle at the Rio Olympics. Anthony Ervin capped a remarkable personal journey with a gold in the 50 freestyle – 16 years after he won his first individual gold in the same event at the Sydney Games.
“I’m ready to spend time with (newborn son) Boomer and (fiance) Nicole and watch the little kid grow”.
Will the friendly Michael Phelps-Ryan Lochte rivalry have another chapter at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo? Just so you guys don’t beat me to death if I comeback. “No more. This is it”. But I’m not doing it. “And I’m going say it again that he’s going to come back for 2020”.
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“I hit all my goals right on the nose this week”, she said. “Were the papers here, I’d sign them tomorrow”.
