Michael Phelps on His way to Fifth Olympic Games

By Francisco Romero

As the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics approach the United States athletes are starting

Picture Courtesy: olympic.org

to complete the team, in the different sports that will be the representative of the United States of America.

As the field of athletes gets younger, one veteran athlete seems not to lose a step; I am talking about swimmer Michael Phelps. Yes, only at the age of 31 he will be making his fifth trip to an Olympiad.

On Wednesday Phelps won the 200-meter butterfly and thus becoming the first swimmer to qualify for five Olympics.

“Getting on the team is the most important thing, and that’s the only thing I had to do tonight. I tried to take it out, and prayed to God that I would be able to hang on. I was just excited, because I had the opportunity to make my fifth. God, I’ve been in this sport a long time,” Phelps said after the win.

Phelps was only 15 when he qualified for his first Olympic Team in the 200m fly in March of 2000. He was the youngest American male swimmer to make an Olympic team in 68 years.

Without a doubt Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time; he has won 22 Olympic medals over the course of his career.

“Just being able to finish (my career) how I want to is just so important to me,” Phelps said. “And getting on this team is what I wanted to do.

The 2016 Olympics, better known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad will take place in Rio de Janeiro Brazil from August 5 – 21.