More than 12 years after first making it onto the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, Michael Phelps has made it a clean dozen, posing with all 23 Olympic gold medals for the cover of this week’s SI.
You can check out the cover on the Sports Illustrated website here, and you can also read SI‘s lengthy feature piece on Phelps’ farewell Olympics.
The 31-year-old Phelps competed in what he says were his last-ever Olympic Games this past summer, leading all male swimmers with 5 golds and a silver medal. That pushed him further ahead of history in total medals. Phelps, already the most-decorated Olympian in history prior to Rio, now has 23 Olympic golds and 28 total Olympic medals to his name.
We nerded out on some numbers this summer, using the size specifications of each Olympic Games’ medals to figure out how much Phelps’ collection weighs in all. The final number? 18 pounds. Phelps’ latest Sports Illustrated cover has him wearing all of his career golds (about 14.44 lbs) around his neck.
You can also check out a bonus photo from the Sports Illustrated Twitter page, featuring Phelps showing off all 18 lbs and all 28 medals spread out across his arms:
Caption This: pic.twitter.com/JYNrGjHEG1
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 20, 2016
That’s a really nice article that touches on everything, his own expectations of himself, struggles, and thoughts during the games. It really gives one a well informed perspective. It even mentions his goals of WR in the 200IM and butterfly which he didn’t fulfill. MP has earned every accolade he is given. While I believe he can still perform well enough to matter in Tokyo, I do believe Rio was such a good note for him that he will be perfectly okay with retirement.
Somebody awhile ago wondered if Phelps was having shoulder problems because of all the cupping marks on his right shoulder. After reading this piece I guess now we know he was.
Epic
Epic
I think there’s still room for a few more.
DAMN! WOW!!!!!! DOUBLE WOW!!!!!!! That’s it. That is all I have. I am speechless! A God from Mount Olympus.
The Sports Illustrated cover shot is awe inspiring. That one leaves you speechless.
I saw a gold medal once. I asked the recipient, who had won a few, how he kept track of which one was which. The medals are engraved on the edges with the event, year, place. MP can keep track of all of those when they come out of whatever display he uses.
wow !