Michael Phelps feels physically ready to compete in another US Olympic Swimming Trials

There cannot be a US Olympic Swimming trials without the most celebrated swimmer in the history of the sport – Michael Phelps. He is a role model for many aspiring swimmers and perhaps the greatest athlete of all time in the pool.

The upcoming swimming trials is a familiar situation for Michael Phelps. Having hung up his boots in 2016, Michael Phelps took a trip down memory lane as he attended Wave 2 of the US Olympic Swimming trials in Omaha.

Read: US Olympic Swimming Trials Wave 2 Results: Katie Ledecky, Michael Andrew and Torri Huske qualify

Phelps has dominated the sport for decades. It looked as if the athlete was itching to jump back into the pool himself in Omaha.

"Body-wise, I’m almost ready. Put me in there, let me do a time trial or something. This is all I know and all I’ve really understood,” Michael Phelps told reporters in Omaha.

The US Olympic Swimming trials is a vault box from the timeline for Michael Phelps to reminisce on his glorious past. It was the same arena in which he had competed and cemented his place in the USA team. Phelps has a special place in the Olympics history books, as he is the most successful Olympic athlete – with 28 medals, including 23 golds.

“I was walking on the pool deck and I felt chills going up my body. I had to stop and take a lot of deep breaths. It was overwhelming,” he said.

It will be the first time that Michael Phelps has not been a part of the US Olympic trials, since 1996.

Admitting that it was an emotional moment to be at the arena, the 35-year-old swimmer said: “I will say it got a lot of things fired inside of me. It really excited me. It was probably more emotional than I thought.”

Super Sunday for Michael Phelps

Chase Kalisz at the US Olympic Trials

It was a Super Sunday for Michael Phelps as he cheered for his long-time training partner Chase Kalisz, who booked his place in the USA Olympic team. Kalisz emerged victorious in the 400m individual medley and the first thing he did was run over to Michael Phelps as the duo embraced each other in a bear hug.

The US Olympic swimming trials also gave the celebrated swimmer a chance to meet his old friends. Michael Phelps was seen conversing with Ryan Lochte and Nathan Adrian, who were his teammates for the longest time.

One thing Michael Phelps does not miss when he is around the arena is the palpable mindset.

“It’s fun to not deal with those nerves and have to feel that pressure going up to the blocks, going through the warmup and warm down, the lactic (acid) testing, the massages. I don’t miss that, not at all,” he had said.