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Michael Phelps once opened up about feeling a emotional while watching the American flag being raised at the Olympics while he celebrated his victory on the podium. The American athlete shared that hearing the National Anthem on the podium brought back a lot of memories and he reflected on his struggles to reach to the pinnacle of the sport.
After the London Olympics in 2012, Michael Phelps announced that he would be retiring from the sport however, he came out of retirement in 2014. However, he faced multiple challenges which included an arrest for DUI which led to a suspension from all competitions for six months as well as being dropped from US team for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.
Phelps returned to the Rio Olympics with the intention of making his final appearance in the quadrennial games as well as extending his record to become the most decorated Olympian in history. He concluded his campaign with six Olympic medals which included 5 gold and one silver medal.
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However, amid his record breaking performance in Brazilian Capital, one moment from the victory ceremony of the men's 200 IM went viral on the internet. The 200 IM gold medal victory held a great significance as he was the only swimmer to win an event for the fourth consecutive time.
Michael Phelps broke down in tears as he heard the American National Anthem in the Arena. He spoke about the moment in an interview with ESPN and shared how he recalled all his struggles and his entire journey leading up to the moment. The most decorated Olympian was so overwhelmed with emotions that he could not hold back.
"Every time I hear the national anthem there are so many memories going through my head now. And pretty much every time I hear it I'm in tears. I was trying to hold it back tonight and I couldn't," he said.
Michael Phelps on his decision to come out of retirement in 2014
Michael Phelps opened up about his decision to come out of retirement in an interview with Hindustan Times. The American swimmer shared that he did not want to regret missing out on an opportunity and felt that there was a lot more to still achieve as an athlete.
Moreover, the possibility of competing in his fifth consecutive Olympic games excited him.
"I felt I had unfinished business. I didn’t want to have that ‘what if’ moment 20 years down the road, where I think back and wonder ‘why didn’t I swim one more Olympics?’" he said.
Furthermore, he revelaed that his loss to Chad le Clos of South Africa in 2012 in the men's 200m butterfly motivated him to make a comeback and end his career on his own terms.
