“I was in a hurt of pain going home the last 50”-When Michael Phelps opened up on the last-moment push that helped him win gold in his final Olympics

Michael Phelps once talked about how he pushed his limits to clinch the 200m individual medley victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics, his last Games before retirement. In the 200m medley event, he faced one of his most formidable rivals, Ryan Lochte.

Michael Phelps made waves in his very first Olympics, Athens 2004, bagging a record eight medals to tie Alexander Dityatin's record. He was a force to be reckoned with at the 2008 Games, claiming eight gold medals and eclipsing Mark Spitz's record of seven top finishes in a single Games. Phelps added four gold and two silver medals at the 2012 London edition before taking the pool for the final time in the 2016 Rio edition.

Bidding for his 22nd Olympic gold medal, Phelps joined the 200m individual medley line-up alongside long-time rival Ryan Lochte and Japanese swimmer Kosuke Hagino. Phelps had a slow start, but he clinched the top spot nevertheless.

In an interview in 2016, he talked about how he gave his all to stay underwater and swim the fastest.

"I was in a hurt of pain going home the last 50. Just forced myself to stay underwater and spun my wheels as fast as I could,” he said (via Swimming World Magazine).

Phelps won the race, with Hagino finishing second, and became the first swimmer to win the same individual event four times. Since it was his 13th individual gold medal, Michael Phelps made history by eclipsing Leonidas of Rhodes' record set at the ancient Olympics.

Michael Phelps once noted the similarity between navigating mental health and winning gold medals at the Olympics

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

Michael Phelps remained connected to the sport even after retirement. At 2021 Tokyo, the first Olympics he attended not as a competitor but as an analyst, the 39-year-old looked back at his journey and talked about navigating mental health and his winning mindset in the competitive pool.

He shared that he didn't have any outline for his mental health journey, similar to not having any specific plans for winning eight gold medals.

"Throughout my career, there was no blueprint on winning eight gold medals; it was kind of trial and error that we had to figure out a way to get there. So, for [my mental health] …I can’t expect to have every answer today, but I also have to give myself forgiveness because I’m still learning and at times that is hard,” he said.

The 28-time Olympic medalist added:

"[I] want to be as perfect and I want to learn as fast as I can, but at times, that’s not possible. I’m constantly learning. I’m constantly growing."

Phelps bagged eight World Swimmer of the Year and eleven American Swimmer of the Year honors in his storied career.