The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, had the honor of carrying the United States flag last night during the 2016 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in Rio. But,the 31-year-old was also seen in Washington, DC yesterday. How is that possible? Even the 22-time Olympic medalist can’t swim that fast.
Enter Phelps’ doppelgänger, a wax figure representing the American swimmer created by Madame Tussauds Museum. Originally on display at the museum’s San Francisco location since 2014, the company moved Phelps’ statue to Washington DC, where it will remain through the Summer Olympics.
Madame Toussauds DC partnered with DC Department of Parks and Recreation to locate Phelps’ wax figure at Banneker pool, where kids and adults alike can interact with the 18-time gold medalist’s likeness while watching him go for gold in Rio.
Said the General Manager of Madame Tussauds, Washington DC, “We couldn’t think of a better time to welcome this figure to the heart of the nation. It is not often that an individual becomes a champion of this caliber and we are thrilled to be able to provide fans a place where they can cheer alongside Michael as he makes our country proud once again.”
https://twitter.com/DCWax/status/761655135051190272
