Rio Olympics: Michael Phelps hailed GOAT following 20th gold medal

MICHAEL Phelps won his 20th and 21st Olympic gold medals on Wednesday. For many, it confirmed the American’s status as the greatest Olympian of all time.

MICHAEL Phelps became the first athlete to ever win 20 Olympic gold medals on Wednesday (AEST).

Phelps reached the landmark in Rio when he took out a thrilling 200m butterfly final, touching in at 1:54.36 sec to beat Japan’s Masato Sakai in 1:53.40 and Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi in 1:53.62.

In doing so Phelps, 31, also became the oldest individual men’s swimming gold medallist in Olympic history.

For many, it confirmed his status as the greatest Olympian of all time.

BEAST. #GOLD #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/iZL1uccvg2

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 10, 2016

@MichaelPhelps the consistency is out of this world, his desire + gift + mindset = greatest of all time. Screaming 4 u abroad! #GOAT

— Apolo Anton Ohno (@ApoloOhno) August 10, 2016

I love the Olympics. @katieledecky @MichaelPhelps just crush. #wow

— Abby Wambach (@AbbyWambach) August 10, 2016

Yes @MichaelPhelps wins 20 Th Gold / Simply the GOAT to ever enter the pool! #AwesomeBaby

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) August 10, 2016

20 golds!! That's how you do it @MichaelPhelps. GOAT

— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) August 10, 2016

Think about that...@MichaelPhelps trained for 1825 consecutive days without any break. https://t.co/AWmmL384Rj pic.twitter.com/wHaaD1yplC

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 10, 2016

Michael Phelps left Chad le Clos in a pool of his own tears. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/CBvwIS6zOT

— theScore (@theScore) August 10, 2016

I'm really selective with how I use my emojis, but Michael Phelps is the Goat. 🐐

— Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) August 10, 2016

Nothing more needs to be said.

The greatest 💪 #Phelps#Rio2016 https://t.co/wd8dFDsc5h pic.twitter.com/JsjKNaeXUf

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 10, 2016

Michael Phelps reading his son a bedtime story pic.twitter.com/RBx3dFaqHq

— WORLD STAR FANS (@FunnyWorIdStar) August 10, 2016

If you're not @MichaelPhelps you're last. Never has a sport been dominated like this for so long. Don't call it a comeback #Rio2016

— Miles Teller (@Miles_Teller) August 10, 2016

Michael Phelps has more overall Olympic gold medals (20) then 170 of the 206 countries competing in #Rio2016 - Seriously.

— David Amber (@DavidAmber) August 10, 2016

Less than an hour later he won gold medal No.21, taking the United States of America home in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Happy 21st @MichaelPhelps

— Ian Thorpe (@IanThorpe) August 10, 2016

All-Time Olympic Gold Medals After Tonight:

Michael Phelps, 21

Brazil, 24

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 10, 2016

All I can say about @MichaelPhelps is...G.O.A.T. #Rio2016

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 10, 2016

Most golds in Olympic history
21: Michael Phelps
9: Carl Lewis
9; Mark Spitz
9: Larisa Latynina
9: Paavo Nurmi

GOAT pic.twitter.com/SXInudIKTf

— ESPN (@espn) August 10, 2016

Michael Phelps has 21 golds.

"Most children get building blocks to play with. Boomer's going to get gold medals!" pic.twitter.com/twUVX4YmpB

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 10, 2016

Despite the short gap between his 20th and 21st gold medals, it’s been a long road for Phelps. Having debuted at 2000 Olympics as a 15-year-old, he failed to pick up a single medal at his first games. In 2004 he claimed six gold and two bronze, before sweeping eight gold in 2008 and four gold and two silver in London. He has three gold in Rio so far, and is a chance at getting three more.

The GREATEST Olympian of all time has won his 24th medal! 🏅

Congrats, @MichaelPhelps! pic.twitter.com/jDpq7eOQ1l

— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) August 10, 2016

But Michael Phelps with gold medals #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/esgvr7osky

— Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) August 10, 2016

On Tuesday, the five-time Olympian lit up social media thanks to a vicious scowl at South African rival Chad Le Clos before the 200m butterfly semi-finals.

On Wednesday, he beat Le Clos (1:54.06 sec) by more than half a second, sparking a rehashing of the original meme.

Michael Phelps: "How do you feel now Chad le Clos?"

Chad le Clos: 😭 pic.twitter.com/Tf9QVpz8Tu

— Crying Jordan (@CryingJordan) August 10, 2016

UPDATE.#NewPhelpsFace pic.twitter.com/dbak37XXo0

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2016

Unsurprisingly, Phelps was not the only American to win gold in the pools on Wednesday, with Katie Ledecky, 19, taking out the women’s 200m freestyle, touching in at 1:53.73 sec, ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (1:54.08) and Australia’s Emma McKeon (1:54.92).

Here’s Ledecky with Phelps in 2006, when she was only nine years old and he was a two-time Olympian with six gold medals to his name.

Katie Ledecky, 10 years ago, getting an autograph from Michael Phelps. #USA

(H/T @darrenrovell | Ledecky Family) pic.twitter.com/DGEOTDFcGA

— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 10, 2016

Originally published as Rio Olympics: Michael Phelps hailed GOAT following 20th gold medal