Michael Phelps was repeatedly pressed by Today show host Matt Lauer, but the most accomplished swimmer in Olympic history didn’t budge.
“Done. Done. Done,” Phelps said Monday, repeating what he said when he retired after the 2012 London Games. "This time I mean it. We talked earlier in the year and I wanted to come back and finish my career how I wanted. This was the cherry on top of the cake I wanted.”
Really?
“The biggest thing between now and London was that I was more emotional during these games and that showed on camera,” Phelps said. “I knew this was the last time, the last race I’d ever have, the last Olympics I’d ever have.”
Lauer said he has doubts.
“I have a feeling it's not,” Lauer said. “I don’t know why. I have a feeling it's not.”
Phelps hauled in five gold medals and a silver in the Rio Games. That brought his career Olympic total to a record 23 golds, and 28 medals overall. Lauer made one last run at Phelps using the words from fellow American swimmer, Ryan Lochte, who guaranteed Friday that Phelps would compete the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Phelps didn’t waver.
“He might be there,” Phelps said. “I won’t. I’ll be there watching, cheering people on. I won’t be in the pool.”
The interview closed with Phelps, 31, reminded that he’s one of the older statesmen of swimming.
“We all looked up to him when we were six years old,” four-time Rio gold medalist Katie Ledecky said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Phelps glared at Ledecky, lowered his head and laughed.
