Michael Phelps ends career with gold as U.S. men win medley relay

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps poses on the podium with the gold medal after winning the men's 4x100 medley relay final at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4, 2012 in London. It marks Phelps' 18th gold medal, a new record. / FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

Last Updated 5:19 p.m. ET

(AP) LONDON - The finale was a formality, more a coronation than a contest. Michael Phelps headed into the retirement the only way imaginable — with another gold medal.

Reclaiming the lead with his trademark butterfly stroke, the one seen in his Olympic debut as a 15-year-old in Sydney a dozen years ago, Phelps won the 18th gold of a mind-boggling career in the 4x100-meter medley relay Saturday.

When it was done, Phelps hugged his teammates — Matt Grevers, Brendan Hansen and Nathan Adrian — before heading off the deck for the final time in his suit. He waved to the crowd and smiled, clearly at peace with his decision to call it a career.

And what a career it was!

Phelps retires with twice as many golds as any other Olympian, and his total of 22 medals is easily the best mark, too. He can be quite proud of his final Olympics as well, even though there were times he had trouble staying motivated after winning a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games four years ago.

Bouncing back from a disappointing first race in London, a fourth-place finish in the 400 individual medley, Phelps wound up with more medals than any other swimmer at the games: four golds and two silvers.

Sounds familiar.

60 Photos

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps wins 100 fly in final individual race

Grevers had the Americans in front on the opening backstroke leg of the relay, but Kosuke Kitajima put Japan slightly ahead going against Hansen in the breaststroke. Not to worry, not with Phelps going next.

He surged through the water in the fly, handing off a lead of about a quarter of a second to Adrian for the freesytle anchor. The Americans won going away in 3 minutes, 29.35 seconds, just off their own Olympic record from Beijing. Japan held on for silver in 3:31.26, with Australia taking the bronze in 3:31.68.

The U.S. men had never lost the medley relay at the Olympics, and they weren't about to now on the final night of swimming at the Olympic Aquatics Centre, on the final night for such a momentous athlete.

How momentous? The governing body of swimming, FINA, summoned Phelps back to the deck for one more award — a silver trophy commemorating his standing as the most decorated Olympian ever - a fitting gesture, though a more appropriate color would have been gold.

Then, as if 22 medal ceremonies over the last three Olympics weren't enough, Phelps made one more victory lap around the pool, even stopping off at the podium, climbing to the top step again and posing with his final award.

54 Photos

London Olympics: Aug. 4, 2012

Phelps wasn't the only star of the night. Missy Franklin capped off a brilliant Olympic debut by helping the U.S. take gold in the women's 400 medley relay — with a world-record time, no less.

U.S.' women's 4 x 100-meter medley relay team members from left, Dana Vollmer, Rebecca Soni, Missy Franklin and Alison Schmitt, (unseen, in pool), celebrate after winning the gold medal during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Aug. 4, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Michael Sohn

The 17-year-old Franklin, who will begin her senior year of high school when she gets back to Colorado, seems destined to be America's new star in the post-Phelps era after taking four golds and a bronze while swimming seven events — the same number as Phelps.

A definite bit of symmetry there, though Franklin doubts anyone can ever replace Phelps.

"I don't think his shoes will ever be filled. They're so huge," Franklin said. "Hopefully I can make little paths next to him."

And let's not forget Allison Schmitt, another swimmer with ties to Phelps. They trained together over the past year in Baltimore, becoming fast friends with all their goofy antics. But they sure took care of business in the pool, with Schmitt winning three golds, a silver and a bronze in London.

Franklin grabbed the lead right away in the backstroke, Rebecca Soni stretched out the advantage in the breast, Dana Vollmer cruised through the fly and Schmitt finished it off in the free, pulling away for a time of 3:52.05, beating the mark of 3:52.19 set by China at the 2009 world championships.

It was the second world record of the night and ninth of the Olympic meet, proving that fast times are still possible even without banned high-tech bodysuits.

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[tmonta67]

Wow. A lot of spite and jealousy here. No, Phelp's medals won't solve humanity's problems. But they're a testimony to what hard work and dedication can do towards any objective--individual or common--and should be an inspiration to all, regardless of what our personal goals and values might be. Some of these posters need some serious "personal worth and anger management" counselling.

[Resin-Smoker]

Really after the first medal its all ego... Beyond this who cares really. The guy would have nothing going for him if not for the Olympics.

[bobnjersey]

[The guy would have nothing going for him if not for the Olympics.]
--------------------------------------------
i doubt it.

he has everything going for him because he dedicated himself to a goal years ago ... and not only attained it ... but blew it 'out of the water' (pun intended).

i'll bet when he directs his focus to something else ... he'll succeed at that as well.

he's going to stand for decades as the greatest olympic athlete ever ... w/ multiple medal and time records ... that a generation or more of aspiring athletes will attempt to emulate and exceed.

[Smilestoo]

If he does not commit crimes against other people, animals, nature, and other peoples property, he will have a lot going for him.

[Transatlantique]

Swimming may be fun, but its not solving humanity's problems. So what? He can swim faster than someone else. The gaming mentality is an us versus them mindset that is destroying humanity. This extends to my country is better than your's, my religion is better than your's, my house is bigger than your's, I make more money than you, I'm prettier than you, I'm faster than you, I'm stronger than you, I'm more clever than you, and its all BS. Gold medals only exist in the mind, and after people have gone bankrupt or been wipe out by a disease it won't matter who won.

[inverse137]

And what have you done to cure humanities ills other than sit on your phat backside and criticize those that work hard?

Yeah, that's kinda what I thought....

[Smilestoo]

Actually the olympians do a lot for humanity. They motivate and inspire others to reach their highest potential. I don't think any of them have the mindset that you mention. What you see in others is a reflection of you. That is how you would feel if it were you.

[boboraz]

@Jaylah54200 - you must be very proud, or very jealous, or very something unpleasant. Like Phelps or not, your comments are vapid, pointless, stupid and do nothing but show what an utter jerk you are.

[Jaylah54200]

That's your opinion. You're entitled to it. Just like I'm entitled to mine.

The difference is that I don't call people names just because they don't share my opinion. I feel sorry for you.

[Jaylah54200]

I hope he's serious about this being his last Olympics. I'm getting tired of watching him spit in the pool when he constantly does his whale-spray thing.

Maybe he could use some of the money he's made by now to go to visit an orthodontist to correct his severe underbite and badly aligned teeth.

[gadfly65]

You realize, of course, that envy is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

[Jaylah54200]

Sorry, gadfly, I got my braces off in 1968. And I don't spit in public pools. So not sure what you think I have to be jealous about.

[Cru09]

I can't believe people were upset with him for hitting a bong. Now he has 18 gold medals. Can we stop pretending that every smoker is a burnout?

[AlabamaRon]

Just a lot of folks that are envious that bring this up.

[inverse137]

Hell, I'm thing of taking up pot because of him....

If hitting the bong will bring 30 secs off my personal best then what ever man!!