Michael Phelps banked his fifth gold medal of the Rio Olympics in his final race on Saturday night—ending his swimming career with a record-setting total of 23 gold medals. To put this accomplishment into perspective, no other Olympian has more than 9 golds.
The most-decorated Olympian has said he plans to retire after the Rio games, where he became the first swimmer to win the same event—the 200 m individual medley—in four straight Olympics.
As Phelps celebrates his final gold Saturday night in the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay final, TIME looks back at photos from every Olympic gold medal moment of his all-star career.
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- The Fight to Save the Salmon
- Inside the World of Black Bitcoin, Where Crypto Is About Making More Than Just Money
- The 'Great Resignation' Is Finally Getting Companies to Take Burnout Seriously. Is It Enough?
- Suddenly, Everyone on TV Is Very Rich or Very Poor. What Happened?
- Colin Powell Reflects on His Mistakes in Unpublished TIME Interview
- Business Travel's Demise Could Have Far-Reaching Consequences
- If the U.S. Spends Big on Climate, the Rest of the World Might Follow
Read More From TIME
