Who’s the greatest Olympian of all time? Depends on how old you are and who you ask. But since this is me talking, my vote goes to Michael Phelps. I mean, how many other Olympians do you know who have 19 Gold medals under their belt?
This Olympiad marks Phelps’s 5th time at the Games. I admit, I didn’t see him perform in 2000, mostly because up until that point my entire Olympics viewing consisted solely of Women’s Gymnastics. It wasn’t until 2004 that my roommate and I sat down to watch the Summer Games and were blown away by the hottie in the water. “He’s hot! And he can swim!” Then in 2008 he surpassed the record for Gold medals earned in a single Games.
Phelps had previously stated that after the 2012 London Games he would retire. Well, that didn’t last long and he’s once again in the water in Rio (he’s the Brett Favre of swimming). Will his retirement actually take after this year? Only time will tell.