The guy can relax he has money fame records why would you want to work hard for 3 3/4 years when you can enjoy retirement
He's got 21 medals as it is, he's proven himself, the body can only take so much punishment, swimming like he's done since over decades is punishment to the body I don't care how in shape a person is. He's 27, I'm guessing he wants to move on with life, I wish him the best of luck.
He's lazy. He could make it back for two maybe even three more Olympics if he wanted but doing that is so time consuming. He just wants a life because that's somethung he hasn't been able to have with all the training he does. It's so time consuming ask any athlete of that calibure. He didn't train as hard for London as he did for beijing, not even close, and still made it because he was supposed to retire in 08 as well so I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to come back in a last ditch effort. And he's good enought to make it, but he won't be able to win gold after continuing to do that. He's lucky he's so good. If anyone slacked off like he did before London they wouldn't even be on the podium, hes still winning gold. He probably will be back, **** like that just draws you in. But he wants a life, he's 27, he hasn't had one.
Even though he's had the best Olympics of any swimmer, his prime will be long gone by the 2016 Olympics and he doesn't want to stand in the way of future American swimmers.
He said he doesn't want to compete anymore, you have to have the will to put in all that training. Look at the 400 IM, he didn't medal because he lost interest and didn't train in it for 3 years. You have to want to continue. Like most elite athletes though, most get bored after a couple years and return even if its just for 1 or 2 races.
hes lazy don't want to train and plan on traveling the world for the next few years but i think he will compete in 2016
Swimming puts a lot of strain on the body mentally and physically. This games wasn't as good as his last. He has had a good career, why wouldn't you end on such a good high? It normally only goes down from here.
He's 27 and he ain't going to Rio so get over it dick
He's physically fit, but tired. He wants a break, has been planning his retirement all year.
cause he is afraid to LOSE
I read on articles that the 2012 Olympics will be Michael Phelps's last Olympics, but why? I think he should be still able to complete in his later years.
