At the Olympic Games, held in London, Phelps' Olympic medal count increased to 22, setting a new record for most Olympic medals beating gymnast Larisa Latynina's prior record of He won four gold medals, in the 4-bymeter freestyle relay, meter individual medley, meter butterfly and 4-bymeter medley relay; and two silver medals, in the 4-bymeter freestyle relay and meter butterfly.
After the London Olympics in , Phelps announced he was retiring from swimming. However, he gave some indication of a possible return in July and would not rule out a possible Olympic bid for the summer games. In April , Phelps put the retirement rumors to rest and announced plans to compete at the Mesa Grand Prix in Arizona. Meanwhile, the sports world continued to speculate whether Phelps would compete in the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
His longtime coach Bowman told the Washington Post :. While Phelps did compete at the Mesa Grand Prix, he made a more impressive showing at the Pan Pacific Championships held that summer in Australia, winning three golds and two silvers. On June 29, , Phelps celebrated a huge comeback when he became the first American male swimmer to earn a spot on five Olympic teams.
His then-girlfriend Nicole Johnson, their baby, Boomer, and Phelps' mother Debbie watched the Olympic legend break history from the stands in Rio.
On August 7, , Phelps clinched his 19th Olympic gold medal in Rio swimming the second leg of the men's freestyle relay. He went on to win gold in both the meter butterfly and in the 4xmeter freestyle relay along with Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas and Ryan Lochte. Phelps went on to compete in the meter individual medley, an event dubbed "the Duel in the Pool" because he faced off against friend, teammate and rival Ryan Lochte, the world record holder in the race.
Phelps dominated the race, winning gold in over a body-length at Lochte failed to medal. Phelps' victory made him the first swimmer to win four consecutive golds in the same event.
Being able to finish how I won is just something very special to me and this is why you are seeing more and more emotion on the medal podium.
Phelps then competed in the meter butterfly, tying for the silver medal with Laszlo Cseh of Hungary and Chad le Clos of South Africa. Joseph Schooling of Singapore, a year-old swimmer who idolized Phelps when he was boy, won the gold. In another emotional victory, Phelps took gold again in his final Olympic race, helping the U. Upon finishing, the most decorated Olympian in history received a standing ovation from the crowd.
In a huddle with his teammates following the race, Phelps felt the emotion of the moment, according to the New York Times. Phelps has accumulated a total of 28 medals at the Olympic Summer Games in Athens, Beijing, London and Rio — 23 gold, three silver and two bronze — setting the record for the most medal wins by any Olympic athlete.
At the Olympic Games, he won one silver and five gold medals, becoming the oldest individual gold medalist in Olympic swimming history, as well as the first swimmer to win four consecutive golds in the same event, the meter individual medley.
Phelps has set 39 world records, the most of all time. And 24 years in the sport. I'm happy with how things finished," he said. I'm happy about it. I'm in a better state of mind this time than I was four years ago. Phelps is just under 6 feet, 4 inches tall. He has a disproportionately large wingspan, reaching a bit less than 6 feet 7 inches from fingertip to fingertip, and a torso with measurements that are more common in a man who measures 6 feet 8 inches tall.
When he broke the world record in the meter butterfly at the World Championships, Phelps swam at an astonishingly speedy or at least by human standards 5. During an interview in the midst of the Beijing Summer Olympics, Phelps told NBC that he ate 12, calories per day to fuel his five-hour, six-days-per-week training leading up to the Games. His diet reportedly consisted of hefty choices like two pounds of pasta and entire pizzas.
The stories were just ridiculous. I was probably eating anywhere between like 8 to 10 [thousand] probably at my peak where I was really growing. Just weeks following his triumph in the Summer Olympics in Athens, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland, after cruising through a stop sign. I got picked on, a lot.
As early as kindergarten, Phelps had trouble with inattention. Phelps was a mischief-maker who liked being the center of attention. In science class, he turned on all the natural gas burners so that the smell would bug his classmates. That was especially difficult at home. His two older sisters swam at a local aquatic club, so his mother decided he might give it a try, too. I hated it. In the water, I felt, for the first time, in control.
Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD in sixth grade. By age 10, Phelps was a nationally ranked swimmer. At 11, he met famed swim coach Bob Bowman.
The two butted heads. So, what did a full day of eating look like for Phelps? Lunch was often a hearty meatball sub. For dinner, Phelps piled his plate high with lean meats, whole grains and lots of veggies. He often went back for seconds!
Fueling up with nutrient dense foods helped Phelps maintain his high training volume and continue to build strength. His work ethic, dedication and determination, combined with his natural talent, set him on a path to succeed in 5 consecutive Olympic Games. He understood that to do extraordinary things, he had to go above and beyond. This immense internal motivation set Phelps apart from others.
He trained on his birthday, and even Christmas Day. He learned to see setbacks as opportunities, and used trash talk from his competitors to fuel his drive to win.
Structured goal-setting also helped Phelps become such a high achiever. He would write down his goals on paper, and refer to them after a tough day, or when he needed extra motivation. Another reason Phelps was able to dedicate so much time and mental energy to training was that he chose not to graduate from college.
He did take a few classes at the University of Michigan while he was training there with Bowman, but swimming was always his main focus. And, when you compete in 2 Olympics before age 20, that makes complete sense! While some people are full-time students or full-time workers, Phelps was a full-time athlete. And that hard work paid off. At the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Michael did what no athlete had ever done before: he won 8 gold medals in a single Olympics.
He passed fellow American Mark Spitz for the record of individual gold medals in a single Olympics, not only winning all his races in Beijing but breaking a world record in almost every single race. After the London Games, Phelps decided enough was enough. He retired from swimming, and dropped off the swimming scene…. Without the regimented structure of training and guidance of his coach, Phelps spiraled into a deep depression and contemplated suicide.
He was training for himself. He wanted to enjoy the process. And that made all the difference. Going into the U. Trials, Phelps felt stronger in the water than ever before.
In the Games, he won five gold medals and one silver medal, helping team USA take home 33 medals in swimming. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the 4th Olympics in a row!
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