RIO DE JANEIRO _ Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time. Of that, I have no doubt.
As for Phelps' latest retirement, I'll believe it when I don't see it. Or, more exactly, when I don't see him at the 2020 Olympics. Until then, I'm dubious.
Phelps' fifth Summer Olympics was scheduled to come to a close late Saturday night. Once again, he has been a star among stars. His medal totals are so high that even Phelps calls them "insane" and "mind-blowing." Many athletes spend a lifetime trying to win one gold medal. Phelps ends his time in Rio with nearly two dozen golds.
But will Phelps really stay gone this time around? He has talked fondly about counting down his races and warm-downs all through these Olympics, but he did exactly the same thing in London in 2012.
Back in 2012, Phelps offered several vague reasons as to why he was going to retire, often saying something like: "I don't want to be still doing this when I'm 30."
What he really wanted was a break from the grind, which is and was perfectly understandable. So Phelps took one, and then he had a lot of trouble with alcohol once again, and then he went to rehab, and then he returned to the sport.
I think all of that _ except the alcohol and the rehab parts _ is about to happen again. I know Phelps is a father now and that he obviously loves his fiancee and his baby. He will want to shut it down for a year, maybe two, and concentrate on his family.
But what then?
That's what people wonder, and that's why even his teammates are skeptical this retirement will stick.
"He said he was going to retire after 2012, and I was the only person that said he's going to come back," teammate Ryan Lochte said. "I think he's going to come back again just because, when you get to this stage, we thrive off that excitement. ... He wants that challenge. He wants to push his limits. ... I know I'm definitely going to come back and I definitely want him there."
