It is also needless to say that with this Olympian returning for another hurrah, his competitors were alarmed. From excited to surprised and maybe a little bothered, the arena came to see a plethora of emotions. As he took to the 8th lane at the USA Swimming Grand Prix Meet, it became clear that headlines were going to be made.

How rivals reacted to Michael Phelps

Before his return to the game in 2014, Michael was last seen competing in 2012 at London Games. This 28-year-old was met with heavy press coverage. A fact that earned some remarks from other swimmers. Like Olympian Ryan Lochte was heard saying, “It was nice seeing all those cameras here,” adding his thanks to Phelps.

For swimmer Natalie Coughlin, things were a little distracting. “Yeah, I saw the helicopter circling over workouts” she said. But, for the younger swimmers, it was more of a delight. Justin Lynch and Michael Andrew were first-timers when it came to sharing the waters with this veteran. The former regarded it to be an excellent opportunity.

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Yet, with all being said and done the meet didn’t result bright for this decorated Olympian. Phelps decided to try his hand at the 100m instead of the 400m which was his strong point. This cost him to finish a poor seventh. The first position was achieved by Adrian at 48.31 seconds.

READ THIS: “Had the Biggest Wedg*e”: Michael Phelps Opened Up on His Biggest Embarrassing Moment of His Career

Yet, despite it all, Michael Phelps wasn’t unhappy. If anything, he was glad to be back, according to a byte he gave post-race.

Phelps is an epitome of an athlete

Phelps bagging so many medals is no surprise following his love for the sport. He is dedicated to his craft, going to any length for perfecting it. It was this daily grind that would eventually bring him more accolades and the title of being the most decorated Olympian of all time.

Not many sportspeople can come back after a 20-month of break and still perform. But, Phelps did that. He even went on to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics. And, although now he is finally retired, he is still thought to be one of the greatest of all times.

WATCH THIS STORY: Michael Phelps’ Long Torso Leaves Fan Shocked As His Image With 4’11 Ft Gymnast Resurfaces.