United States’ Michael Phelps kisses his gold medal 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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Denmark’s Pernille Blume beat a field of world and Olympic champions to take gold in the women’s 50m freestyle and Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri won the men’s 1,500m freestyle after dominating nearly from the start. Even that statistic seemed to pale against the irrepressible Phelps – and likewise Ryan Murphy’s leadoff backstroke leg, which set a new 100m world record of 51.85. “So I think that’s why I will still incorporate swimming in part of my weekly routine, just because it’s calming and soothing for me”, he said.
“Go for 30 medals in Tokyo?”
“This is what I wanted to finish my career”.
Phelps held it together, though, finishing his record-shattering Olympic career with 28 medals – 23 of them gold.
Baby Boomer Phelps, who has already had his first swimming lessons and who has been cheering for his dad at the Olympics (to the extent a months-old-baby-can), weighs exactly what you’d think an infant would; probably less than 20 lbs.
“I’m at an absolute loss for words”.
“We are in great shape, not only with Katie but with the team that we have now, ” Phelps said moments before Ledecky’s interview.
Former British swimmer Karen Pickering on BBC One: “We’ve run out of words to describe what Michael Phelps has done”.
“After the relay last night, that’s why I was hunched over and more emotional than I was in London, because it actually meant something”.
With a gold medal around his neck.
At the Rio Games, Phelps won individual gold in the 200-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly, while taking silver in the 100-meter butterfly. Puig is ranked 34th and is the first unseeded women’s singles gold medalist since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988.
“I only really want to represent myself, my family, my coach and my teammates. It’s a nice number”.
Simone Manuel comfortably anchored her team to victory, seeing off Australia in second and Denmark in third.
Phelps has won a medal for his participation on this relay every Olympic Games since 2004.
Italy’s Paltrinieri won the men’s 1,500m freestyle after dominating throughout the race with a relentless display of technique and endurance in the longest event in the pool.
The comeback endured a huge setback with his second drunken-driving arrest in 2014, which led to Phelps being banned from the world championships the following year.
“I’m just happy we had another shot”, Zagunis said, noting that four years ago there had been no women’s team saber.
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“There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders”. “That’s all I can really say”.
