Image from Michael Phelps Facebook page - US swimmer Michael Phelps bagged gold medals for 200-m butterfly and 800-m freestyle race in the 2016 Rio Olympics
- It was his 20th and 21st gold medal in his Olympic career
- It was a vengeful victory against rival Chad le Clos
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps cemented his legacy before he bows out of swimming as he bags 2 gold medals on a single night during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The 31-year-old athlete made history when he won his 20th gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly swimming competition and bagged another gold medal 70 minutes after in the 800-meter freestyle race, as per an article published by Yahoo.
Phelps has been the most decorated Olympian to date as he’s been competing in the Olympics since 2000, earning his first gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. He was the youngest man to swim for the US and has been tagged as one of the “Greatest Olympian of all Time”, if not the most.
Realizing he just won his 21st gold medal in the Olympics, Phelps said: “That’s a lot of medals. It’s just insane. It’s mind-blowing.”
He added: “Just being able to see the number one next to my name again, one more time in the 200 fly, you couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
According to Phelps, he wants to avenge his dramatic defeat in the 200-m butterfly race which was bagged by Chad le Clos in the 2012 Olympics in London, as per an article published by BBC. Since then, the two had been rivals, with le Clos throwing shade at Phelps.
“I wanted that one back. I came into the pool tonight with a mission and the mission was accomplished,” Phelps said.
He added: “There wasn’t a shot in hell I was losing that tonight. And, if I did, every ounce that I had was left in the pool.”
After his win against his rival, who finished 4th, Phelps wagged his finger in le Clos’ direction and raised his arms into the air, soaking up the glory as the crowd roared.
“There was so much emotion and so much build up for that race,” Phelps revealed. “I don’t want to say it’s revenge, but that’s what it was.”
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