MICHAEL PHELPS claimed his 23rd and last Olympic gold – and admitted: “I’ve lived a dream come true.”
The American legend, 31, revealed he is retiring from swimming following this morning’s 4×100 metre medley relay win.
Phelps has racked up five golds and one silver in Rio to take his overall Games tally to an all-time record of 28 medals.
And in an emotional press conference, he said: “This all started with one little dream as a kid to try and change the sport of swimming and do something nobody else has done.
“It is pretty cool. I’ve lived a dream come true.
“Being able to cap it off with these Games, it is so perfect.”
Phelps previously quit the sport after London 2012, but came back two years later because he did not feel fulfilled.
Yet this time he insists he is hanging up his goggles for good, with no chance of a return in Tokyo in 2020.
Phelps, who recently became a dad to baby boy Boomer, said: “I’m able to start the next chapter of my life.
“I’m retiring but I am not done with swimming. This is just the start of something new.
“This accomplishment, I can’t get my head around it. I’m at a loss for words. It is insane.”
He admitted: “Just walking into the pool tonight, everything started coming out, my emotions started surfacing.
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“I started to get chocked up, thinking ‘This is it’.
“I was more emotional than 2012 but that’s a good thing.
“Being able to look back at my career, we have been able to accomplish everything we wanted.
“It was a challenge to get back to this point but this is the cherry on top of the cake that I wanted.
“This is the best place I’ve ever been in my life.”
Phelps also revealed his delight at bowing out with 23 golds – the same number his idol Michael Jordan used to wear.
He said: “Everything happens for a reason. Michael Jordan has been an inspiration for me throughout my whole career.
“Watching what he did in the sport basketball was something I always dreamed about doing in the sport of swimming.
“I was thinking that today actually. 23 Is a special number and always will be.
“Now it will be even more special.”
Phelps’ long-time coach Bob Bowman added: “I’m not even looking for another one like him – he’s too special.
“It’s not even once in a generation, it might be once in ten generations that someone like Michael might come along again.”
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