Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian in history by a huge margin after his medal haul at the Rio 2016 Olympics. His tally comes up to 28 medals, 23 of them gold, earned across four Games. His first entry into the Olympic pool in 2000 didn’t come with a podium finish.

After the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps retired from competitive swimming, but he felt that he still had unfinished business in the sport. So he threw in his hat for another go at the Games and returned to the competition in 2014.

Singing praises of Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps entered the London 2012 Olympics as the best swimmer in the world. His eight gold victory just four years prior in Beijing had been monumental, establishing him as the swimming GOAT. And though he walked away with six medals in London, four gold and two silver, the regret lingered.

In 2014, Phelps returned to swimming to reclaim his dominance in his signature event, the 200-meter butterfly. A title he lost to Chad le Clos in London in 2012. After winning 18 golds, he had nothing left to prove in terms of accomplishments. He simply wanted to eradicate his uncertainty.

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Talking about the Rio Olympics, Mark Foster, a five-time Olympian like Phelps, opened up about the swimming legend’s astonishing legacy in an interview. “He’s not as unbeatable as he was,” Foster told CNN. “He is human, but he came back because he loves it. Swimming is a drug, and he’s addicted. London made him mortal, but the immortality is back.”

Phelps put in comparison to Usain Bolt

We rarely find an athlete who so overwhelmingly dominates his competition that we can’t help cheering for them. Regardless of whether they compete for our own nation or not. And Michael Phelps certainly earned a spot on that shortlist. His 25 years long career has its ups and downs, but he never fails to wow the spectators.

“I’ve never seen a crowd more in love with him than in Brazil. They’re just so into Michael Phelps. He has that effect on people,” he continued. The English swimmer even compared Phelps to Track and Field legend Usain Bolt, dubbed the Fastest Man Alive. 

Bolt has long been the star that pushed track and field into the mainstream. His popularity surpassed that of the sport, and when he set foot on the racetrack, the entire world supported him. Foster continued, “It’s like watching Usain Bolt. Everyone goes bang and realizes it’s something special. But here they realize it’s finally the end of something special.”

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Phelps retired for good after the Rio Olympics, choosing to spend his days with his three sons and wife instead.