When Team USA is called upon during the Olympic ceremony, none other than the most decorated Olympian will be front and center leading the team!
Teammates selected swimmer Michael Phelps as the nations flag bearer for 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Phelps, a five time Olympian, will be attending his first Opening Ceremony. Previous ceremonies always conflicted with his preparation for the 400 IM. He will not swim that event, with his first individual event, the 200 butterfly, taking place on Monday, August 8.
Phelps said in a press release “I’m honored to be chosen, proud to represent the U.S., and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for. For Sydney, I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. And now, I want to walk in the Opening Ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it’s about so much more than medals.”
The Olympic swimmer qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, becoming the youngest swimmer to make the U.S. Olympic team at age 15. He since then set the record for most gold medals in the games, coming out with six in the 2004 Sydney games. He added on to the total in his next two Olympic games capturing eight medals in the 2008 Beijing game and four in 2012 London. In total he has won 18 gold medals, two silver and two bronze medals.
No other Olympian has come close to Michael Phelps’ accomplishments. Phelps is also the first American swimmer to qualify for five straight Olympic games, and has announced that this will be his last.
Leading Team USA for the Opening Ceremony marks the begging of Phelps swan song and it’s deserving of the best Olympian of all time.
2016 Rio Opening Ceremony will air live on NBC on Friday, August 5 at 7 PM CST.
