Michael Phelps became a mainstay and key attraction every four years at the Summer Games. His presence in the serene waters of the swimming pool never ceased to amaze Americans and swimming fans at large.
After his first Olympics at the tender age of 15 in 2000, the Baltimore native built himself into a household name over the years, treading through water at four more Olympics and countless World Championships and Pacific Championships.
When Phelps retired from competitive swimming at the Olympics, he registered a total of 28 medals with 23 of them being gold, leading many to laud him as the greatest swimmer of all time.
As the Paris Games get underway, here’s everything you need to know from the earliest times to the final moments of the acclaimed swimmer’s career.
MORE: What does Michael Phelps do now?
How old was Michael Phelps in first Olympics?
Phelps wasn’t even old enough to get a driver’s license in the state of Maryland when he made his Olympics debut. He participated in the 200 butterfly at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia at the age of 15.
Did Michael Phelps win a medal in 2000?
Although Phelps didn’t earn a medal for his performance at the Sydney Games, he finished fifth overall and put the world on notice. He became the youngest male swimmer to earn a spot on the U.S. swim team since Ralph Flanagan did so in 1932.
However, when Phelps made his second appearance in the Olympics in 2004 Summer Games in Athens, he made a lasting impression on the swimming world. Phelps captured six gold medals and two bronze medals (200 freestyle and 4x100 freestyle). He earned gold medals in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 400 medley. He also participated and snagged gold medals in the 4x200 freestyle relays and the 4x100 medley.
MORE: Revisiting Michael Phelps' legendary 2008 Beijing Games medal count
How old was Michael Phelps when he won his first medal?
Phelps registered his first medal at the 2001 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, capturing gold and eclipsing his own world record in the 200 butterfly. It also marked the first time that Phelps entered the world champion status.
However, Phelps was 19 when he earned his first series of medals in the Olympics during the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. His performance resulted in a total of eight medals with six of them being gold.
Michael Phelps' last Olympics
Phelps left an indelible mark in the swimming pool on the Olympics stage. After capturing the attention of fans in his first Summer Games at 15, Phelps delivered his final act at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. In his Olympics’ swan song, he captured six medals with five gold and one silver (100 butterfly). He earned gold medals in 200 butterfly, 200 medley, 4x100 freestyle, 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 medley. Today, Phelps still holds the all-time record for Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), Olympic medals in individual events (16) and Olympic gold medals (23).
MOST OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS: Won by country | Won by athlete
How old was Michael Phelps when he retired?
Phelps retired twice during his historic swim career. Following his dominant performance—four gold medals and two silver medals—in the 2012 Summer Games in London, the prolific swimmer retired at 27. However, after announcing his return to competitive swimming in April 2014, Phelps put together an unprecedented performance at the 2016 Rio Games and retired for good at 31.
Why did Michael Phelps retire?
When Phelps announced his retirement after the London Games, the decorated swimmer said he was retiring because he was “getting older”, it was “harder” for him to recover and that he desired to “travel around and see some cities” because all he had seen was a “pool” and his “hotel”.
Phelps announced that he would come out of retirement in 2013 because he felt that he had “more things to accomplish”, according to what longstanding coach Bob Bowman wrote in his book The Golden Rules. However, after his arrest from the DUI and serving a six-month suspension at an Arizona rehab facility, Phelps wanted to culminate his extensive career in the proper way. He also wanted another chance to conquer the 200 butterfly—Phelps’ signature event—after South Africa’s Chad le Clos surpassed him.
After an exceptional ending to his career at the Rio Games, Phelps retired as the most decorated Olympic athlete. Despite rumors that he was seeking to make another comeback ahead of the Tokyo Games, Phelps reiterated that he was done and that he finished his career the way he wanted to.
