Rio 2016: Golden goodbye as Michael Phelps signs off with 23
USA’s Michael Phelps gets emotional after winning the men’s swimming 4x100m medley relay final at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio on Saturday. (Photo: AFP)
USA’s Michael Phelps gets emotional after winning the men’s swimming 4x100m medley relay final at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio on Saturday. (Photo: AFP)
Michael Phelps brought the curtain down on one of sport’s most storied careers with a dynamite relay swim to give himself 23 Olympic gold medals and declared it a perfect finale.
The American, far and away the most decorated athlete in Olympic history, finished with five golds and a silver in Rio after signing off in dramatic style, coming to the rescue in the 4x100m medley final.
Turning back the clock in his fifth and final Games, Phelps produced a blistering third leg of butterfly to restore his team’s lead and tee up victory after Britain’s Adam Peaty had threatened to gatecrash his party.
“Getting off the bus and walking to the pool tonight, I pretty much felt myself starting to crack,” confessed Phelps.
“Last warm-up, last time putting on a suit, last time walking out in front of people, representing my country — it’s insane, a lot better than it was four years ago,” added the 31-year-old, who retired after the 2012 London Games before returning for one last hurrah.
“This is how I wanted to finish my career. I’ve lived a dream come true. Being able to cap it off with these Games is just the perfect way to finish.”
The hullabaloo over the Phelps’s farewell overshadowed the achievement of the women’s 4x100m medley relayers as they captured their country’s 1,000th Olympic medal, according to the United States Olympic committee.
The country’s first medal dates back to 1896, when James Connolly won triple jump gold.
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.
Nathan Adrian brought the Americans home to preserve their unbeaten Olympic record in the event and give them a 16th swimming gold from 32 events for the week, matching their haul in London four years ago.
Britain took silver, thanks largely to a breaststroke leg from Peaty that was quicker than the world record he set to win individual gold, but won’t count as it came in the middle of a relay.
Australia claimed bronze, but the memory of sharing the pool with Phelps in his final race could last longer than the glow of their relay gongs.