American swimmer Michael Phelps wins his 21st Olympic Gold Medal

American swimmer Michael Phelps on 7 August 2016 won his first gold medal, his 19th Olympic gold medal overall, in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay of the 2016 Olympic Games.

In second event, the 200 meter butterfly, on 9 August 2016, Phelps became the first swimmer in history to make five finals in the same event, after finishing 5th in 2000, 1st in 2004 and 2008 and 2nd in 2012. He won the title (20th gold medal) that he lost in 2012 Summer Olympics, edging Masato Sakai by 0.04 seconds.

On 9 August 2016, Phelps won his 21st gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay together with Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas and Ryan Lochte. For Phelps and Lochte, it is their 4th consecutive gold medal in this event, an all-time record in swimming for any event.

About Michael Phelps

• Michael Phelps is an American competition swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 25 medals.

• He also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (21), Olympic gold medals in individual events (12), and Olympic medals in individual events (14, tied with Larisa Latynina).

• In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he won four golds and two silver medals, making him the most successful athlete of the Games for the third Olympics in a row.

• He is the long course world record holder in the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual medley.

• His record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award seven times and American Swimmer of the Year Award nine times.

• In 2012, he won the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award.

• He was chosen to be the flag bearer of the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations.

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