Michael Phelps to carry U.S. flag during Rio opening ceremony

Phelps, who is the first American male swimmer to qualify for a fifth Olympic Games, was chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA members.

The US has named Michael Phelps as its flag bearer for Friday night’s Rio Olympics opening ceremonies.

Phelps, who made his Olympic debut in 2000, has a record 22 Olympic medals, including 18 gold. “I’m honored to be chosen, proud to represent the USA, and humbled”.

“Clearly from a team perspective we are just focussed on getting the best performances that we can, regardless of the circumstances”, he said, sitting alongside Phelps. “I’m happy to move on from my swimming career and go out how I wanted to”. In London, I wanted to make history.

“This is my third Olympic Games and it is a very special competition for me”. “A little bit of emotion came over me.

Phelps revealed his frustration at a lack of solution to doping problems, and he is unsure if he has ever competed in a clean event.

The 31-year-old joined his United States teammates in their first training session at the Olympic Aquatics Centre on Tuesday afternoon, just hours after arriving in the city for the August 5-21 Games, reports Xinhua.

Nearly immediately after the announcement was made, Michael Phelps became a trending topic on Twitter, with fans and journalists alike weighing in on how important this was for both Team USA and for Phelps. With Lochte proved right, he had a little fun with Phelps at a news conference for USA swimming, predicting Phelps would not, in fact, conclude his career after these Olympics.

This will be the first time the most decorated Olympian in history will walk in the Opening Ceremony.

Phelps’s team-mates said there was nobody better to represent the country, even if men’s team co-captain Nathan Adrian admitted to nerves when he put the case to the captains of other sports. “Since the last couple years haven’t been up to par by my standards, I feel like the underdog”, he said Wednesday on his 32nd birthday.

“Just so you guys dont beat me to death if I come back, ” he told a packed interview room at the Main Press Center. “So that’s really good for my mindset going into this Olympics that I’m the underdog and I have to earn my spot on the podium”.