Phelps wins last relay gold as US dominate

“As a team we do stay together and always watch out for one another”, Phelps said.

Being able to cap it off with these Games is just the ideal way to finish.

‘This is the way I wanted to finish my career, ‘ says Michael Phelps of the United States, who medalled for gold one last time in Rio de Janeiro.

“A 1,000th gold for team US is a nice number”, said Manuel.

No other Olympian has more than nine gold medals.

With 28 medals in all, he’s 10 clear of anyone else. “He’s too special. It’s not even once in a generation”. No man ever has defeated the top three seeds on the way to a gold, but del Potro sure came close before winding up with a silver. “Being in the water is a sanctuary for me, and I’m not going to give it up, regardless of whether I’m the best in the world or not relevant”.

In the stands, his fiancee, Nicole Johnson, bounced along to the music with their son, 3-month-old Boomer, cradled in her arms.

For the future, as well as raising his young family, Phelps plans to help more people around the world learn how to swim. “Getting off the bus and walking to the pool tonight, I pretty much felt myself starting to crack”, Phelps said.

“Maybe a bronze”, Bowman chimed in.

He even eclipsed the nearly mythical Leonidas of Rhodes, whose 12 individual first-place finishes – they didn’t have medals in 152 B.C., when Leonidas won the last of his sprinting titles – were overcome by the 13th and last of Phelps’ individual golds in his 200-meter individual medley win on Thursday.

“So I would also like to congratulate all our Team Singapore athletes for their extraordinary feats. The thing is, we just came off an wonderful performance and I think all of us are ready to enjoy that a little bit after a long time of working really hard”. “That human spirit, that capacity to heal. I think it showed in his swimming, it showed in his demeanor, and it certainly showed in his leadership on the team”.

Took a starring role, in fact.

“Being Michael requires such isolation”, Ervin said.

“That is my home, that’s where I grew up, that’s where I learned how to swim”, said Phelps.

“I am happy with how my career ended”, an at-peace Phelps said on Sunday.

He stared at all six medals – five gold and one silver – he won at these Games.

It wasn’t in doubt after that. Felix has won medals in the 4×400-meter relay team but this will mark the first time she is running the distance as an individual. Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam came from behind with strong efforts in the long jump and javelin and barely held off defending champion Jessica Ennis-Hill of Great Britain by 149 points in the 800 meters for gold.

Phelps swam the third leg of the men’s 4×100 medley relay, winning his final Olympic gold medal.

Simone Biles will try to make it 4 for 4 when the Olympic all-around champion makes a bid for another gold medal during the balance beam finals.

“1,000 gold medals for the USA is a nice number”. For silver, it’s $5,940, and for bronze it’s $3,960.

Earlier in the night, Manuel took silver in the 50 free. If Phelps were a country, his Olympic medal total would rank 38th all-time.

The U.S. – with locals Aaron Russell and Reid Priddy – will face Mexico in the final match of group play.

“I thought someone was going to catch me”, van Niekerk explained.

He probably has to tell everyone that a few more times before we actually believe him.