"Being able to come back from defeat"- Michael Phelps reveals one of the greatest Olympic races of his life

Michael Phelps revealed that the 200m butterfly win at the 2016 Rio Olympics was one of his greatest races, coming back from the retirement he announced after the 2012 Games. Phelps clinched five golds and a silver at the Rio edition, extending his medal tally to 28, the most for an Olympian in history.

Phelps was the American flag bearer at the Rio Olympic opening ceremony and later went on to become the most decorated Olympian of all time. After he anchored the 4x100m freestyle relay team to victory, he clinched his first individual gold medal in the 200m butterfly in the Brazilian city.

In what was a rematch between him and Chad le Clos, the Baltimore native soared past his rival to claim the top spot he lost to Clos in 2012. Reflecting on that in an interview with Laureus Sports, Phelps shared that it was one of the greatest moments of his life, not because he avenged his loss, but that his newborn son, Boomer, lived it with him.

"The 200m fly for me is probably one of my greatest Olympic races of my life. Being able to come back after the defeat in 2012 and just to get back to that point, I think that's something that was a challenge within itself, you know, taking a year and a half, almost two years off, getting myself back to where I was able to compete and finish exactly how I wanted."

He added:

"I think that was a special thing but I mean I think that's where you saw the biggest celebration for me after that race, where I'm sitting on the light lines basically saying bring it. But it was just a cool moment and I wanted that one back really bad and and being able to look up and see my wife and son up there. It was just, you know, something I haven't had before and just a treat to be able to have that opportunity, a couple years from now to be able to share with Boomer what he saw and and kind of what I did throughout my career."

His monumental win also made him the first swimmer in history to make five finals in the same event.

Michael Phelps once shared that his mindset was like adding a piece to a 5000-piece puzzle every day

Michael Phelps at the United States v Australia - 2025 SheBelieves Cup - (Source: Getty)

Michael Phelps, along with his coach Bob Bowman, amassed 23 Olympic gold medals and 82 international long-course medals. He was undefeated in the pool and continued his excellence till his final lap at the 2016 Rio. In conversation with Bhrett McCabe, the 40-year-old shared that his goal was to make small accomplishments every day, comparing his mindset and body to a 5000-piece puzzle.

"My body and what I'm trying to accomplish is a five-thousand-piece puzzle. How can I put one piece in each day? If I can do that, then nothing else matters, and the way that I can do that is by controlling what I can control. If I'm doing that to the best of my ability, then nothing else matters," he said.

Phelps has also been a philanthropist since his competitive days. Through his eponymous foundation, he promoted healthier lifestyles and helped several youngsters achieve their goals.