Of that, I have no doubt. Until then, I’m dubious.
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That meant Phelps hit the water for the third butterfly leg with work to do, and the superstar, swimming his fifth and final Olympics, didn’t disappoint.
Even more impressive, Phelps has more gold medals (23) than all but four countries in swimming – United States of America (247), Australia (60), East Germany (38) and Hungary (28).
For Manuel, it was her second medal of the night – she also won silver in the 50 free – and second gold of the games.
The swimming competitions in Rio have come to an end and legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic swimmer in history, finished the games with six medals.
“The itches”, was how Michael Jordan once described the urge to compete. “I couldn’t be happier”.
Russia, the Soviet Union and and the 1992 Unified Team (made up of the 15 former Soviet republics) account for three more countries ahead of Phelps. After the London Olympics four years ago, he retired, bitterly disappointed with his effort and burned out. It got me so ready to go.
While he does not have to put himself through the daily grind of training, it seems nearly certain that Phelps’ next career involves continuing to try to boost the sport’s profile. So Phelps took one, and then he had a lot of trouble with alcohol once again, and then he went to rehab, and then he returned to the sport. The IAAF (I-double-A-F) says it has banned long jumper Darya Klishina because of new information it received last week. He has things going on. Eventually, the 13-year-old mustered the courage to get a picture, too. He will again insist it’s all over in a final news conference Sunday afternoon that will draw hundreds to the Main Press Center in Rio.
But what happens after a year or two?
“It’s really special”, Manuel said.
That’s what people wonder, and that’s why even his teammates are skeptical this retirement will stick. He wants to push his limits. Phelps’ performance Saturday provided a final example of why they don’t want him to leave.
She clocked 24.07 in the one lap event, just two-hundredths of a second outside the Olympic record, and two hundredths ahead of United States rival Manuel. I was a little kid with a dream and it turned into a couple of medals, pretty good couple years of swimming and I had a blast.
Like Phelps, Ervin well knows the dangers of retiring without a real backup plan. For the last time. And it wasn’t until after the fact that Phelps lifted the curtain to reveal the anger and unhappiness of those Games, when he wanted nothing more than to be done with swimming. He has a competitive switch you only see in very few people. He had a golden moment on Saturday night after producing an incredible performance to power the U.S. men’s butterfly relay team to victory.
The results of personal healing and sobriety are obvious: The Phelps who came to Rio is a far more buoyant person and swimmer.
I remember watching Phelps swimming “B” finals because he couldn’t qualify in the top eight.
“He’s my hero – one day I hope to be remembered like him”, Guy told CNN. I remember his anger.
On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal was toppled by Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, ending his bid for a second Olympic singles gold medal. In tonight’s race, he was faster by 0.58 seconds.
The finality matched the way NBC had been playing it up all evening.
Even so, he got four more gold medals in London.
Phelps soaked up aspects of the Olympic experience he previously ignored – serving as a captain on the United States team for the first time, carrying the USA flag at the opening ceremony he had never before attended.
For all that, though, I don’t really think Phelps is done, and I won’t truly believe it until he skips the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2020. “Maybe the very first one was the easiest one”. But I think he will be there. He walked away, took up the guitar, joined a band and became a wayfarer who abused drink and various chemical substances.
He’s “done all he can do here”, coach Bob Bowman said, and it was revolutionary and jaw-dropping.
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Mozart died at age 35, though.
