Michael Phelps News and Updates: Why Swimmer Can't Hold His Tears in Latest Olympic Win
Michael Phelps couldn't hold back his tears as he received what might be the most significant award of his career. The Olympic winner has won this event for the fourth consecutive time and that was not all; he also conquered the competition by about two seconds and then after this win, exactly 37 minutes later, he competed for the semi-final leg of a different race. Reports say that this was Phelps' greatest challenge which he prevailed.
Stoic-faced Phelps
Fans who have followed Phelps' career said that all these years, the athlete has always showed a stoic face when he receives a medal. This was also true especially when he had another race after receiving an award. This directive was according to Bob Bowman, U.S. coach. Bowman strictly ordered that athletes maintain their focus as they hear The Star-Spangled Banner play and then condition themselves for the next race. But after receiving his gold medal last Thursday, Phelps had no choice; he had to disobey his coach.
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Phelps' eyes began to water and he tried to maintain his composure by taking a deep breath. But, this was not enough to keep the wave of emotion in him. He started to become emotional. He said in an interview that every time the U.S. national anthem was played, he would become emotional and would be in tears. He said that at that moment, he couldn't hold back anymore.
Career Comeback
Phelps' career was down in two events. The swimmer had one more individual competition that night, a 100-meter butterfly on Friday night and a 4x100 meter medley relay on Saturday. As he stepped closer to the end, he simply cannot help performing like a robot like in all of his swimming career.
Bowman said in an interview that he actually noticed Phelps' emotional win. He also said that it was actually nice to see and he liked what he witnessed so far.
Phelps swam for redemption in the 200-meter butterfly that night and he has managed to take back the race that belonged to him all these years. The gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley also confirmed that the swimmer is the greatest in the sport.
Meanwhile, Chad le Clos mentioned in an interview that his loss to Phelps in the 200-meter butterfly was his worst performance of all. Late Thursday, le Clos also said that his performance was not really good enough.
Disappointing Swim in London
Phelps may have done all that he can to come back since his disappointing performance in the London Olympics. To recall, Phelps brought home four gold medals and two silvers in 2012, but he said that it was not about the medals; it was about committing himself to the sport and falling in love with swimming again. Apparently, the reward for his hard training was his near-to-perfect performance in the Rio Games.
Feeling Like a Kid Again
Phelps also mentioned that while doing his routines in Rio, he felt like a kid again. He felt like he was 18 and that this helped him get back to his excellent form. He said that he was glad to come back and get things done the way he wanted them to be. He ended the interview by saying he was unable to put into words his fourth 200 IM in a row. It was a very special week to close out his career, Phelps said.
