Possibly one of the most decorated Olympic sportsperson in the history of the competition, American swimmer Michael Phelps has confirmed his retirement this time from the Olympic, in a feature story for Sports Illustrated.
With the end of 2016 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics slowly approaching, speculations of the Swimmer’s return was increasing until he repeatedly began to downplay such a comeback to Sports Illustrated reporter Tim Layden.
While speaking to him he said, “If I do get the desire to come back, great. Right now I don’t see it”
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While this may be a certain “tease” by the 28 Olympic Medalist according to Tim Layden, Phelps, however, tended to politely shun the reporter regarding the matter.
“I could probably go four more years,” he told Layden. “But could I put in the true, honest hard work? Probably. But I have so many other things going. And there’s no reason. I’m tapping out. I’m closing. I’m done.”
Mother wants more
Just after winning his 23rd gold medal, Phelp’s mother, Debbie Phelps, encouraged her son to continue the streak, and go on for his sixth Olympics.
“Tokyo 2020. Four more years, question mark,” his mother reportedly whispered to Phelps. “Mom, don’t start this now. If you want to go to Tokyo, I’ll take you to Tokyo. We don’t need the Olympics for that.”
According to Nicole Phelps, Michael’s wife, the only reason why her husband would return to competing in the Olympics would be for their son Boomer.
“I look at it a few different ways. I don’t see him coming back because he went out exactly how he wanted to go out, and he’s happy, and he did what he wanted to do. He wasn’t forced into it. From that standpoint, I don’t see him going back,” Johnson told in an interview with Cosmo. “Then again, you never know. Maybe he misses it so much and maybe Boomer convinces him that he has to go back so Boomer can remember it.”
Michael Phelps, on the other hand, still stands his own, and is convinced by his answer. Unlike his fellow swimmer Ryan Lochte, who has already predicted his return for the Olympics, Phelps looks positive about his decision.
“The hardest thing is going to be not having the chance to represent my country,” Phelps said. “Not having the chance to stand on the medal platform and hear the national anthem. … I’m at peace with how things ended. I’d rather have a healthy body in 20 years than kill myself more now. To me, it’s a no-brainer.”
