Michael Phelps won five gold medals and one silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, bringing his career total to 28 Olympic medals (23 gold) — the most decorated Olympian in history.
Rio 2016 Dominance
Age 31, after brief retirement and DUI arrest (2014), Phelps returned:
- 200m butterfly: Gold
- 200m individual medley: Gold
- 4×100m freestyle relay: Gold
- 4×200m freestyle relay: Gold
- 4×100m medley relay: Gold
- 100m butterfly: Silver (0.04 seconds behind Joseph Schooling)
Five golds in final Olympics. Career totals: 28 medals (23 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze) across five Olympics (2000-2016).
The Phelps Face
Pre-race staredown with South Africa’s Chad le Clos went viral: Phelps sitting in chair, hooded, headphones on, death glare, slapping himself. “Phelps Face” meme exploded.
He beat le Clos in 200m butterfly (le Clos had taunted him pre-race). Revenge complete.
Legacy
Most Olympic medals ever (next closest: 18). Most gold medals ever. Eight golds in single Olympics (2008 Beijing). Dominated butterfly and individual medley for 16 years.
Retired (again) after Rio. Became mental health advocate, speaking openly about depression and suicidal thoughts. Married Nicole Johnson. Three kids.
The Baltimore Bullet. The Flying Fish. The greatest Olympian who ever lived.
Source: Olympics.com