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Phelps "humbled" to carry US flag in Rio

Xinhua, August 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Michael Phelps said he was "honored" and "humbled" after being chosen as the opening ceremony flag-bearer for the US Olympic team on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old was elected to lead the US delegation into the Maracana stadium on Friday by his 554 teammates.

"I'm honoured to be chosen, proud to represent the US, and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for," Phelps said.

Phelps, who will be competing at his fifth Games, is the most decorated Olympian of all time, having won 22 medals - 18 of them gold.

"For Sydney, I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. And now, I want to walk in the opening ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it's about so much more than medals."

It will be the first time Phelps has participated in an Olympic opening ceremony. He has avoided taking part at previous Games to focus on his events, which usually begin the next day.

"A lot of swimmers don't normally walk in the opening ceremony because swimming is the first week," he told NBC. "It's kind of tough when for me, in the past I would swim the 400m IM [individual medley] on the first day. I get up and go right from the get-go. It's tough to be on your legs for that long. You're on your legs for like six or seven hours and it's a long night."

Phelps will be just the second swimmer to carry the US flag, joining four-time Olympic medalist Gary Hall, who was given the honor at the Montreal Games in 1976.

In Rio, Phelps will compete in the 100m and 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley. He is also expected to be a part of the US relay teams.

In addition to adding to his Olympic medal tally, Phelps is aiming to become only the third athlete to win gold in the same event at four consecutive Olympics, joining Al Oerter (discuss) and Carl Lewis (long jump). He could perform the feat in both the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley. Endit