In the history of the Olympic Games, there have been athletes who have participated and won. There have also been athletes who have won everything in their sport but failed to win at the Olympics. But those are the players who have carried the burden of their nation on their shoulders every time they have stepped on the field. They have represented their country proudly and have given their best each time. An athlete’s career only lasts for some years, but it is their names that are engraved in gold in the history books.
With the chance of playing at the Olympics coming just once in four years. The gap between two Olympic games can see many stars retire. With the 2016 Rio Olympics just a few days away we look at some of the legends who might be competing in their last Olympic Games.
1) Roger Federer (Switzerland)
The Swiss tennis star might be playing at his last Olympic Games in Rio. He will be 34 years old when he takes to the court at the Games. Four years into the future – when he will be 38 years old – it will be difficult for even the tennis legend to last that long. Federer turned pro in the year 1998 and has been playing continuous tennis since then.
He has been a tennis professional player for 18 years now, but he has managed to keep his body in shape. The 5-time US Open champion has never won a gold in men’s singles in the Olympics, but he does have a silver medal which he won in 2012. However, he has won the gold medal in men’s doubles when he partnered Stanislas Wawrinka in Beijing 2008.
Speaking to Reuters in Dubai on 14 December 2015, the Swiss player had expressed his desire to not only focus at the Men’s Single’s gold medal but he also said he would like to win the gold medal in men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
He will be partnering Martina Hingis in the mixed doubles at Rio 2016, in what could be the last Olympic Games for the pair. The man with the most wins at Wimbledon tied with Pete Sampras will be looking to bid farewell to Olympics with medals.
2) Michael Phelps (USA)
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time. He has won 22 medals in all in the four Olympic Games he has participated in. The American has a tally of 18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Interestingly, the swimmer had retired from swimming after the 2012 London Olympics. Everybody thought that was it for the Olympian as he had taken the retirement after the main event in 2012. But the legendary swimmer surprised everyone when he announced in 2014 that he will be coming out of retirement to compete in the 2016 Olympics.
Last month, Phelps qualified for the 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly and the 200m individual medley events when he won in all the three events in the US Trials. The swimmer will be aiming to defend his 100m butterfly medal as well as the 200m individual medley medal. But Phelps has announced that this time he wants to try different events and therefore he could win up to six more medals in Rio.
But given his age of 31 years, this might really be his last Olympic Games if he does not decide to switch to another sport from swimming.
3) Usain Bolt (Jamaica)
The 29-year-old sprinter has been in the news as he is currently nursing an injury in his grade one hamstring tear in Germany. The 11-time world champion in sprinting has already announced that Rio Olympics will be his last Games. Therefore, he features in our list over the likes of Justin Gatlin, who at 34, might also be participating in his last Olympic Games.
Bolt has won a tally of 6 gold medals at the Olympics so far. In Beijing 2008, he won his first three golds in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relays. He was able to defend all the three medals at the London 2012 Olympics. The Jamaican will be looking to bag a hattrick of gold medals in all the three categories, making him the first athlete to do so. The fastest man on the planet will be looking to end his Olympic career with a high in Rio.
4) Leander Paes (India)
Amidst the controversy surrounding the selection of Leander Paes for the Rio Olympics, there is also the aspect that the great Indian tennis player will be featuring at his last Olympics.
He has been given a chance by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to partner world number 10 in Men's Doubles, Rohan Bopanna. Bopanna had earlier chosen an unexperienced Saketh Myneni as his partner for the Rio Olympics. Given the achievements of Leander Paes, he is is one of the few players in India who can be sent to the Olympics on merit.
He recently won the 2016 French Open with Martina Hingis, making it his 10th Mixed Doubles title. He has also won an astounding 55 Doubles career titles including 8 Grand Slam victories. Therefore, there is no doubt in what the 43-year old is capable of. But Paes has not been able to perform to his full potential in the 6 Olympics he has featured in.
He won a Singles Bronze medal in 1996 Atlanta Olympics but when it comes to the doubles and mixed doubles, he has never gone past the semi-finals. He will be participating in only one event for India and will be expecting to win a medal to finish of his Olympics career.
5) Mo Farah (Great Britain)
The British distance runner will be participating in his third Olympic Games in Rio. The Somalia-born runner has two gold medals at the Olympics which he won at the 2012 London Olympic Games. He had won the two medals in both the 5000m and the 10000m running events in track and field. The British national has five gold medals and one silver medal at the World Championships.
The runner will come into the Games as the winner of both the 5000m and the 10000m running events in the World Championships that took place in Beijing, China. Mo Farah is famous for his “Mobot” celebration and will be looking to do it in Rio.
In the last Games, Farah had been the best distance runner, and will be looking to extend his hold on the gold medal when he takes the track in Brazil. At the age of 33, Farah might be participating in his last Olympic Games and will look to create history by winning even though the competition is much more tougher this time.
