What Makes Michael Phleps(USA)the Greatest Olympian of all time

To thunderous roars in Rio’s aquatic centre yesterday, Michael Phelps cemented his title as the greatest Olympian of all time, winning two golds to take his remarkable Olympic medal tally to 25.

In 60 minutes of sporting drama and brilliance, the freakish 31-year-old American swimmer – competing in his fifth Olympics – won his 20th and 21st gold medals with the chance of three more to come this week.

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that the former party animal was in rehab for substance abuse only last year, had been banned from swimming and came out of retirement to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Michael Phelps's enormous 'wing-span' has powered him to 25 Olympic medals

The 6ft 4in Phelps, who has size 14 feet and was once so scared of putting his head in the water that instructors allowed him to float on his back, was the youngest American male swimmer to appear at an Olympics in 68 years when selected as a 15-year-old for Sydney in 2000.

At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, his haul of 6 gold and 2 bronze medals was hailed as one of the ‘most amazing performances in Olympic swimming history’.

In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games ,he was even better, winning all 8 events.

In the 2012 London Olympic Games, he won 4 gold medals and 2 silvers and announced his retirement. 

His medal tally is now 25 – a total that will probably never be surpassed. 

US swimmer Michael Phelps with the 21 gold medals he won at the Olympic Games in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016.