Phelps picked up his 23rd Olympic gold medal, helping the United States’ 4×100 metre medley relay team to victory in the final swimming race of Rio 2016 – USA’s fourth win in the event in as many Games. He couldn’t believe his swimming idol was in front of him.
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King swam the second leg of the medley relay, the breaststroke, bringing the US from fourth place to second.
It was Manuel’s second gold in the space of three days, adding to the 100 freestyle she claimed on Thursday, and came about 40 minutes after she took silver in the 50 free.
Phelps’ long-time coach Bob Bowman said swimming was unlikely to see anyone of his sort again. I didn’t want to have a what-if 20 years later. That’s what I wanted to do.
“I think it was a challenge getting back to this point but this is the cherry on top of the cake that I wanted”.
It is no idle boast. And when the Olympics are done, they’ll be remembered as the latest in a long line of USA swimming powerhouses.
The incident launched Phelps on a “brutal” personal journey that included a stay at a facility specializing in personal trauma and addiction treatment.
Schooling won Singapore’s first medal at last year’s World Championships in the 100 butterfly.
“I might let him take one for “show and tell”, he laughed. I’m really happy where I am right now in swimming and in life.
“I was just super excited to be on that relay and I´m sure that little extra bit of adrenaline is what pushed me to that record”, said Murphy, who broke the record of 51.94 set by American Aaron Peirsol in 2009.
Turns out, the less-than-glittering times at the U.S. trials were no indication of how fast they would swim once they got to the big stage.
He also regained his cherished 200m fly, exacting sweet revenge over fierce rival Chad le Clos. “It’s hard to come back after that”.
It’s impossible not to watch Usain Bolt when he’s on the track. “But here they realize it’s finally the end of something special”.
“What she’s doing in the sport is ridiculous”, Phelps said.
However, Phelps – who retired at London 2012 before making a comeback two years later – insists there will be no second U-turn.
The 24-year-old van Niekerk even leaned at the finish line, which he really didn’t need to do as Kirani James of Grenada and LaShawn Merritt of the Unites States weren’t even in the picture.
The happiness has not always been there.
American Justin Gatlin posted the fastest time in the Rio heats.
Phelps’ first Olympic appearance was in the 2000 Sydney Games when he was just 16-years-old. “It really makes you reflect on all the previous generations of US athletes and the amount of work they put in”.
Phelps can have no doubt about the lasting impact he will have had on his sport.
Michael Phelps has ended his glittering Olympic career in the only way imaginable – with one final gold medal.
“He doesn’t need this, his legacy is going nowhere, which makes this more incredible”, he said. “To do something that nobody else has ever done”.
Unless he decides to compete in Tokyo in 2020, it means he finishes his career with 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold. He thinks like he’s trying to win his first medal. “Other people respect that. Michael Jordan had it. that killer instinct”.
The Americans, who failed to medal at last year’s world championships, had looked in peril when two-time doping violator Yulia Efimova gave Russian Federation the lead on the breaststroke. Phelps gave him a hug and told him, “Thanks, bro”.
The Phelps of 2016 has been unlike any other Games.
Lohn says his relationship with Phelps is also more relaxed. “He looked at me, he smiled and it’s just, ‘I know'”.
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“This race means more to my family and my friends and those people who supported me”. He’s smiled more than I’ve ever seen him smile, he’s like a different person. Swimming will miss him but those he has inspired will continue on.
