Michael Phelps who emerged victorious at the 2014 Charlotte Grand Prix still insists that he is afraid of a defeat.
Phelps, the most decorated athlete in the history of Olympic, clocked a time of 52.13 seconds, and beat runner-up Pavel Sankovich of Belarus to the title.
“I don’t want anybody to beat me, ” Phelps said while speaking in an interview with NBC. “Nobody.”
The 28-year-old swimmer had decided to come out of retirement last month just two years ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and managed to bag the victory in the 100-meter butterfly category at the Charlotte Grand Prix.
“It’s been a while,” he told Sports Illustrated. “It’s nice seeing the first place next to your name. It’s good to be on that side of it again. That’s my first one since I came back. Hopefully, we can get a string of those.”
Phelps’ long-time rival Ryan Lochte was watching him from the VIP lounge, and when asked if he could have beaten Phelps, he said, “No.”
“I’ve got a brace on my knee,” he added pointing to his left leg.