Michael Phelps Leaves Rio With 23rd Gold; His Teammates Leave With Memory Of An Armed Hold-Up

Yes, Michael Phelps is a very good swimmer.

Team USA is hardly a one-man-band when it comes to swimming (ahem, y’all seen Katie Ledecky’s total domination in the pool?), but the individual achievement of Michael Phelps at Rio 2016 is a mighty one.

The 31-year-old ended his run at the Games yesterday with his fifth Olympic gold of the week, courtesy of a victory in the 4x100m medley relay. (Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller and Nathan Adrian joined him in the triumph, collectively setting a new OR of 3:27.95 seconds.)

His tally from four Olympics now sits at 23 gold medals and 28 medals, overall. (The next most decorated Olympian, Larisa Latynina, nabbed 18 medals, nine of them gold.)

Late last week, he even broke a 2,168-year record, previously held by Leonidas of Rhodes, by claiming his 13th individual gold medal.

The legend. The GOAT. @MichaelPhelps swims his last race for a historic 23 #Gold medals. #Swimming #Rio2016 https://t.co/pBvPqDk18N

— 7Olympics (@7olympics) August 14, 2016

But is this where Phelps’ unequalled medal-getting ends? British swimmer James Guy doesn’t believe so, telling the BBC, “I think he wants 25 golds and he’s got 23.” However, Phelps emphatically told press last week, “I am not coming back in four years.”

The theory of Phelps’ return for 2020 was originally floated (pun!) by Ryan Lochte.

For his part, Lochte leaves Rio with gold - from the 4x200m freestyle relay – and some mild trauma, after he and three fellow teammates were held up at gunpoint on Sunday.

According to the United States Olympic Committee (reported by the New York Times), they were travelling in a taxi before individuals posing as armed police officers pulled them over and demanded money and personal belongings.

The uber-chill Lochte apparently reacted to the stick-up in the most Lochte way possible, telling Today, “I was like, ‘whatever.’”

This, Australia, is how you build a dominant swimming force.

https://t.co/LgkoJe4qkm pic.twitter.com/Ed3V6vWhuf

— Ryan Lochte (@RyanLochte) August 14, 2016

Photo: Twitter / @7olympics.