The Rio Olympics have been another display of Michael Phelps and the swimming team’s dominance. He’s pocketed three gold medals with more events left to complete. It is also his farewell to Olympic competition. At 31 years old, he is not expected to swim in Tokyo in 2020.
Through his five Olympic appearances he’s progressed from one of the youngest American Olympians ever during his debut at 15 in Sydney, to the most decorated in history with 25 medals, 21 of those gold, as of Aug. 11.
Take a look back at some of his earliest Olympic and other international competitions and contrast them with his performance today.
(Above) Phelps swimming in Sydney in 2000. (Below) Phelps in the pool on Aug. 10, in Rio di Janiero.Image: Getty/Allsport/Ross Kinnaird, Reuters/Pilar Olivares
(Left) With an early gold medal (and laurel) in Athens in 2004. (Right) After medaling on Aug. 9 in Rio.Image: AP/Mark J. Terrill, Reuters/Marcos Brindicci
(Left) Phelps outside the pool at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in 2001. (Right) With cupping bruises in Rio.Image: Reuters/Stringer, Reuters/Dominic Ebenbichler
Celebrating poolside in Fukuoka, Japan in 2001 after setting a new world record and in Rio.Image: Getty/Nick Wilson, Reuters/Dominic Ebenbichler
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