The US’ Michael Phelps on Saturday left the Olympic pool for the last time having fulfilled a childhood dream, but it is clear he will not be walking away from the sport that has turned him into a global household name.
Phelps’ swimming career ended with his 23rd gold medal in the 4x100 medley relay medal on Saturday, which extended his record as the most decorated Olympian of all time.
“This all started and began with one little dream as a kid that changed the sport of swimming and tried to do something nobody else has ever done,” Phelps said. “And it turned out pretty cool.”
Photo: AFP
It could have all ended four years ago, a little less cool, for the now 31-year-old American.
After the 2012 London Olympics, which he had declared to be his last, Phelps walked away with not only the regret that he simply went through the motions, but like many athletes in retirement, he appeared lost and unprepared.
In Rio de Janeiro, where he took his Olympic tally to a staggering 28 medals — he also won three silvers and two bronze — it was apparent he was not going through the motions at all.
Clearly exhausted, he shared every victory with the raucous crowd and was especially emotional whenever he caught sight of fiancee Nicole Johnson and infant son Boomer in the stands.
“Getting off the bus walking into the pool tonight I almost felt myself starting to cry,” Phelps said. “Last warmup, last time putting on a suit, last time walking out in front of thousands of people representing my country, it’s insane. A lot better than it was four years ago, this is how I wanted to finish my career. This was the cherry on top of the cake and [I’m] looking forward to starting a new chapter.”
Part of that new chapter now clearly lies outside the pool.
Since he first took the Olympic plunge at the 2000 Sydney Games he has had an ambition to take swimming into the mainstream and there is no doubt the sport has enjoyed a much higher profile during his tenure as its leading figure.
However, it is also apparent he has not been able to elevate it much beyond what it has been — something people only care about during Olympic years and he knows he has work to do.
“I’ve said this to some of you, it’s not done growing,” he told reporters when he qualified for Rio. “In my opinion, and if I have to die before — I’ll go down swinging to see this sport where I want it to be. It’s not done yet.”
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
RSS