Phelps put the United States ahead to stay on the butterfly leg of the relay and Cal’s Nathan Adrian finished it off, giving the most decorated athlete in Olympic history his 23rd career gold medal.
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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.
But a blistering breaststroke leg from 100m gold medallist and world record holder Adam Peaty, whose split was 56.59, saw Britain move into first place.
“Getting off the bus walking into the pool tonight I nearly felt myself starting to cry”, said Phelps.
“Last warmup, last time putting on a suit, last time walking out in front of thousands of people representing my country it’s insane”.
“We’ve all seen the photo of Katie and I when she was nine, and the photo of Joe and I”, Phelps told reporters after the race.
While the spotlight was on the 31-year-old, who retired after the 2012 London Games before returning for one last hurrah, the U.S. women’s 4x100m medley relayers captured their country’s 1,000th Olympic medal.
The Americans regained the lead in the butterfly, as Phelps overtook James Guy, and Adrian held off Duncan Scott in the final straight to give the US their 16th swimming gold medal in Rio.
Afterward, the tears came and Phelps’ eyes glistened, first as he embraced his teammates and raised his arms and later as the national anthem played for him – and his accomplishments – one last time. While he finished the games in Australia with no medals, he started winning them one after the other ever since.
It was there in the Team USA carpool karaoke beforehand, it was there in the manner in which he celebrated his first relay gold in Rio and it was even there in finishing second to Schooling. “It’s really special that I could do it with the relay is awesome, just sharing it with three other women is icing on top of the cake”, said Manuel.
For Manuel, it was her second medal of the night – she also won silver in the 50 free – and second gold of the games.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s got one, 19 or 23 gold medals, he doesn’t think like that”. It’s the beginning of a new journey.
“I’m exhausted about hearing how the Americans are doing here”, said Clary, according to the Washington Post. I don’t know how to feel right now.
“There is a big screen back home in my community in Jamaica”.
But Japan was too far behind to make a serious push for the podium, missing out on a medal four years after taking silver at the London Olympics.
But it was Thompson who confirmed herself as the standard-bearer of Jamaican women’s sprinting with an imperious display. “We were just kind of staking our claim in Rio, and I think we kind of did that in the pool as well”.
Bolt turned the Olympic Stadium into his stage again for his first race at the Rio Games, cruising to an easy win in his 100-meter heat, backed up by the trademark showmanship to the thrill of the crowd.
If that was the end, and Phelps insists it is, what a way to go out.
Although the Briton produced a sterling gun-to-tape showing, Thiam came in 7.47sec behind to ensure gold by the narrowest of margins.
Lohn says his relationship with Phelps is also more relaxed. “It was really hard to go out and give your best, but I really wanted to win”.
Farah was clipped by American training partner Galen Rupp on lap 10 of the 25-lap race, tumbling to the track but quickly getting back to his feet.
“When I fell I thought the dream was over, I dug deep”, said Farah, who has now racked up eight successive wins in the 5,000m or 10,000m at a World Championships or Olympics since 2011.
“I promised my eldest daughter Rihanna a medal so I couldn’t let her down”.
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“That’s why I was so emotional at the end, it nearly went”.
