https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXLeexchPR0
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history, and he is widening the gap by a massive margin with his latest win that set him atop the pantheon with 23 total medals, and 19 golds. That’s nineteen golds! Some people don’t have 19 gold anything, let alone Olympic gold medals.
The 4×100 belongs to @USASwimmingβ once again!@MichaelPhelps wins his first #Gold in Rio. https://t.co/BWGaUNiTHM https://t.co/Mv56TNWzar
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2016
The United States men’s team made the 4x100M free relay look easy, but they were bouncing between second and nearly third place for almost half of the race, while France and Brazil held the front position. Then, when Phelps came off the blocks, everything slowed down as the superhuman swimmer took the lead and never looked back. His teammates, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian have joined Phelps in the history books. It was truly a race that added one more thrilling chapter to Phelps’ incredible book.
.@TeamUSA WINS GOLD IN THE 4x100M FREE RELAY! pic.twitter.com/3A5oNg23p6
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2016
This cements Phelps as the greatest Olympian of all-time. The next closest Olympian, Larisa Latynina, has 18 medals and *only* 9 golds. Keep in mind that this was the first of six total events that Phelps will swim in this, his final Olympics. It’s entirely possible that Phelps will go on to win over 20 golds, which is incomprehensible, considering he’s the only person to even earn 20 medals total.
Take a look at Twitter’s joyous reaction:
πΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ππ½ π π π π π π π π π π π
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) August 8, 2016
USA takes back the 4×1 title!!! pic.twitter.com/ZwmKSlCi4d
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) August 8, 2016
Phelps is a fish. #USA
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) August 8, 2016
Man, hard to describe the ovation Phelps just got here. To have that happen in a country this far away … you could see it moved him.
— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) August 8, 2016
Aqua Man is real. His name is Michael Phelps
— Fake SportsCenter (@FakeSportsCentr) August 8, 2016
That is GOLD MEDAL #19 for @MichaelPhelps!
π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π
The most decorated Olympian of all time. pic.twitter.com/ezBv303C0R— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 8, 2016
Seriously, who knew a GOAT could swim so well?