"I was going through the last 16 years"- When Michael Phelps opened up about being teary eyed on the podium in his final Olympic Games

Michael Phelps once reflected on his 200-meter butterfly win at the 2016 Rio Olympics and how his 16-year-old career flashed before his eyes as he stood on the podium for the last time. Phelps won five gold and a silver medal in his final Olympic appearance.

Phelps rose to fame with his first Olympic gold win in 2004 at Athens, and he eventually won five more first-place finishes in that event. He continued his winning momentum at the 2008 and 2012 Games, amassing eight gold medals in the former and four in the London edition. Having already broken Mark Spitz's record of seven first-place finishes in a single Games, Phelps took the pool for the last time in the 2016 Rio.

In his signature event, the 200m butterfly, the 39-year-old shared the line-up with Chad le Clos, the swimmer who defeated him in the distance in London 2012. Michael Phelps swam in 1 min 53.36 sec, leaving Chad le Clos and Japanese swimmer Masato Sakai behind. His win made him the oldest individual champion in Olympic history.

In an interview in 2016, Phelps shared his feelings about standing on the 200-meter butterfly as his journey flashed before his eyes, making him emotional on his last appearance before retirement.

"There wasn’t a shot in hell I was losing that. I didn’t know I only won by 0.04 until the awards’ ceremony, but just seeing the No1 next to my name just one more time in the 200m fly, I couldn’t have scripted it any better.”

"On the podium, I was going through the last 16 years. That event was my bread and butter and this was the last time I will ever swim it. Having that come to an end is crazy to think about," he added.

Phelps won eight records in the event and was unbeaten between 2001 and 2012.

Michael Phelps once talked about how he would consider talking about mental health a sign of weakness

Michael Phelps at the Waste Management Phoenix Open - Round Two - (Source: Getty)

Michael Phelps had his fair share of mental health issues as he felt the growing expectations on him. He announced his retirement from his sport in 2012 before making a comeback in 2014, but continued to struggle with depression and things. However, he got better with therapy and talking about it with people, eventually becoming a mental health advocate.

In a 2022 interview, the 39-year-old opened up about how he would consider vocalizing mental health issues for a male athlete a sign of weakness.

"I can speak from an athlete perspective of being a male and an athlete. If I was to speak up during my career, I would feel like it would be a sign of weakness…and we’re giving our competitors that edge, and in sports or basically kind of in battle, it’s like you can’t give your competitors that edge,” he said.

The 23-time Olympic gold medalist shared how he delights in the changing scenario, as more athletes come forward with their stories.

"I think [the stigma] is dropping a little bit and for me, it’s incredible to see that. It’s incredible to see people talking about their own journey their own way, and sharing their own stories."

Michael Phelps won a total of 82 medals across major competitions and eight 'World Swimmer of the Year' honors.