Watch Every Michael Phelps Race, From Sydney to Rio
By Rachel Lutz ••
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a record 28 total Olympic medals after completing his fifth Games in 2016.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when he was just 15 years old, Phelps placed fifth in his only individual event: the 200m butterfly. In the final race of his career, at 31, Phelps took home his fifth gold medal of the 2016 Rio Games alongside Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller and Nathan Adrian in the 4x100m medley relay. It was his 23rd gold medal.
His illustrious career has come to a close at the end of the Rio Olympics and the world is bidding farewell to Phelps in the pool. NBC Olympics collected video of each of his Olympic races, along with post-race and reflective comments from Phelps, his longtime coach Bob Bowman and teammates who've gone on his Olympic journey with him.
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Simone Biles of the United States holds the beam with her hands while competing in the Balance Beam Final on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Rio Olympic Arena on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas dives over the finish line to win the gold medal in the Women's 400m Final on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 15, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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France's Renaud Lavillenie competes in the Men's Pole Vault Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Orlando Ortega of Spain and Deuce Carter of Jamaica compete in the rain during the men's 110m hurdles round one - heat two on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Egypt's Hosam Hussein Bakr Abdin, center, knocks down Mexico's Misael Uziel Rodriguez during the men's middle (75kg) quarterfinal three match at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Pau Gasol #4 of Spain dunks the ball during a men's basketball preliminary round group B game between Spain and Argentina on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1 on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Xan de Waard #3 of Netherlands attempts a shot past Noel Barrionuevo #27 of Argentina during the quarter final hockey game on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Hockey Centre on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Davit Chakvetadze of Russia celebrates victory over Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine in the Men's Greco-Roman 85 kg Gold Medal bout on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 2 on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Nicholas Lucena #2 of United States plays a shot against Alison Cerutti #1 of Brazil during the men's beach volleyball quarterfinal match between the United States and Brazil on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Beach Volleyball Arena on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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The Austrailian team huddles during their quarterfinal match against Hungary at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Aurelie Muller, left, of France takes on refreshments during the women's 10km marathon swimming on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Fort Copacabana on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Matthieu Rosset of France warms up before the preliminary round of the men's 3m springboard in the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre, Barra da Tijuca, during day 10 of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain riding Valegro celebrates after winning the gold medal during the dressage individual grand prix freestyle on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Deodora Olympic Equestrian Centre on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Russia's Anastasiia Beliakova, right, fights USA's Mikaela Joslin Mayer during the women's light (57-60kg) quarterfinal 3 match at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Alison Cerutti #1 of Brazil celebrates match point during the men's beach volleyball quarterfinal match between the United States and Brazil on day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Beach Volleyball Arena on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Bastian Steger of Germany competes against Jun Mizutani of Japan during the table tennis men's team round semi final between Japan and Germany during day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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(L-R) Australia's Glenn O'Shea, Italy's Elia Viviani and South Korea's Park Sanghoon crash during the men's omnium points race track cycling event at the Velodrome during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Goalkeeper Lea Yanitsas #1 of Australia makes a save during their women's water polo quarterfinal match against Hungary at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Davit Chakvetadze of Russia and Denis Kudla of Germany compete in the Men's Greco-Roman 85 kg on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 2 on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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The USA's Stefanie Fee (L) looks on during the women's quarterfinal field hockey USA vs Germany match of the Rio 2016 Olympics Games at the Olympic Hockey Center in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Germany's Lisa Altenburg (L bottom) celebrates a goal with teammates during the women's quarterfinal field hockey USA vs Germany match of the Rio 2016 Olympics Games at the Olympic Hockey Centre in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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V Shem Goh and Wee Kiong Tan of Malaysia celebrate winning a Mens Doubles Quarterfinal match against Yong Dae Lee and Yeon Seong Yoo of Korea on Day 10 of the 2016 Rio Olympics at Riocentro Pavillion on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Emma Coburn of the United States celebrates placing third in the Women's 3000m Steeplechase final on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 15, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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A general view as athletes compete in round one of the Men's 3000m Steeplechase on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Argentina's Ezequiel Palacios (R) spikes the ball next to Argentina's Pablo Crer during the men's qualifying volleyball match between Argentina and Egypt at the Maracanazinho stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016, during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
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India's Renjith Maheswary competes in the Men's Triple Jump Qualifying Round as part of the athletics competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Athletes compete in the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1 during the athletics competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Kohei Yamashita of Japan competes in in the Men's Triple Jump qualifying on Day 10 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 15, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Athletes compete in the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1 during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016.
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Players of the U.S. and Mexico face off prior to the start of the men's qualifying volleyball match between the USA and Mexico at the Maracanazinho stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 15, 2016, during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
