As if Michael Phelps hasn’t made enough history at the Olympics during the past 16 years, he will make once history once again Friday.
Phelps will carry the U.S. flag at Friday’s opening ceremonies in Rio and become the second U.S. swimmer to lead the American team at the ceremony. The Olympic swimmer was chosen to represent his country by a vote conducted by all of the U.S. athletes. Gary Hall, who carried the flag at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, is the only other swimmer to carry the flag for the U.S.
This will be Phelps’ fifth Olympic games but his first opening ceremony. During the 2000 Games in Sydney, his “handlers” thought it would be best if Phelps didn’t attend the ceremonies. As for 2004, 2008 and 2012, the five-time Olympian was preparing for the 400-meter individual medley, which takes place the day after the ceremonies. This time, however, Phelps will skip that event.
This year, Phelps’ schedule will be reduced from past years. The 31-year-old will swim in the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley.
Since Phelps became an 18-time gold medal winner during the 2012 Games in London, it has been a roller coaster leading up to this year. Phelps briefly retired from swimming after 2012 but quickly reversed his decision. He was also arrested for drunk driving for the second time. Following that, Phelps gave up drinking, met his biological father, got engaged and became a father. He also managed to become the first male athlete to be a five-time Olympian.
And as Phelps embarks on his final Olympics, he knows that this year is not about the medals.
“For Sydney, I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done (breaking Mark Spitz’s record with eight gold medals). In London, I wanted to make history,” Phelps said.
“And now,” he added, “I want to walk in the opening ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud.”
Finally, a story from Rio we can all smile about
[AP]
