Michael Phelps' last career race was met with a grand finale as the swimmer capped off his final Olympic participation by earning gold in the 4x100-meter Medley relay.
It was Phelps' 18th time to win a gold medal in his 'Phelps'nomenal career and certainly there would've been no better way to say goodbye to a sport that has given him much and also received from him much.
With his final medal, Phelps did not only add to the argument to support why he is the greatest Olympian ever, but he further cemented himself in the medals race pantheon with no signs he'll be superseded anytime soon.
Medals
Phelps now possesses 22 medals in total - 18 gold, two silver and two bronze.
World Records
Phelps possesses six world records, three individual and three team based. The records are:
100-M Butterfly - 49.82 secs (Aug. 1, 2009)
200-M Butterfly - 1:51.51 secs (July 29, 2009)
400-M Individual Medley - 4:03.84 secs (Aug. 10, 2008)
4x100-M Freestyle Relay - 3:08.24 secs (Aug. 11, 2008)
4x200-M Freestyle Relay - 6:58.55 secs (July 31, 2009)
4x100-M Medley Relay - 3:27.28 secs (Aug. 2, 2009)
Fred Phelps
Fred Phelps has been a member of the Maryland State Police for years. He and Michael's mother Debbie were divorced in 1993 when Michael was just nine years old and the relationship of the father and son grew distant. More recently, Michael and Fred have been on closer speaking terms but reports indicate that they are still not particularly close.
Since the divorce, Fred has remarried and now lives in Baltimore.
During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Fred and Michael had a brief reconciliation. Phelps won 6 gold and 2 bronze medals at those games. However, Fred did not travel to Beijing in 2008 to China to watch his son break more records.
Since that time Fred has maintained a relatively low profile until now that he has made his appearance in London to cheer on his son.
A picture of Mr. Phelps senior could be found here. .
Michael Phelps headphones at London 2012
The swimmer's headphones at the Aquatic center drew some attention as these changed from color to color as he proceeded to the pool block event after event.
The fact is that Phelps headphones were Sol Republic 'Tracks' or 'Tracks HD' headphones with interchangeable headbands that come in various colors. These are said to also be indestructible, twistable and bendable and will retain its original form. It also provides high quality sound and comfort.
The phones are priced $99.99 a set and $129.95 for the HD set. The different color headbands are sold separately for $29.99.
Michael Phelps net worth as of 2012
Forbes estimated Phelps' net worth before the London Olympics to be about $40 million. With new endorsements and deals once he returns to Baltimore, those figures will probably rise quickly.
Bornrich.com also estimates his net worth to be $40 million as of 2012. These stats could be found here.
What Phelps will do after retiring according to his mother
According to Debbie Phelps who was recently interviewed by Yahoo Sports, one of Michael immediate plans after retiring is playing more golf. The swimmer's mother told Yahoo that Phelps plans on playing golf in various courses around the world. She even opened the possibility that Phelps would return for Rio 2016 insisting to 'never say never' but confirmed that for now his son would be hanging the goggles and leaving the pool.
Beyond that, no further details have been announced or revealed.
What do you think Phelps will do after retiring? (Poll - multiple selections allowed)
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