Rio 2016: Interview - Michael Phelps, Swimmer

For Michael Phelps, brand ambassador Omega, this will be the fifth Olympic Games after Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. To date, this American has already won 22 Olympic medals (he is the most decorated Olympian of all time), including 18 gold, two silver and two bronze . He swears by Omega's Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Black Black watch, and learn more about it in the interview below.

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Interview - Michael Phelps, swimmer:

You are the most decorated Olympian of all time. What drives you to continue?

Before I put away my bathing suit, I have some unfinished business. And I'm actually enjoying being back in the water. 2012 was quite a challenge for me. But now I feel like a child and it feels amazing.

Are you looking forward to the culture and atmosphere in Rio?

This is my fifth Olympic Games. I've been to Brazil a few times and I've seen how excited the city is to host the Olympics. It's amazing. I think the energy and atmosphere in the city will make for a very special Olympic Games. This is what I'm looking forward to the most - I want to experience everything the city has to offer. Rio will do his best.

In matches, only a moment is often decisive. What can a swimmer do during practice or during a race to gain that little edge?

When you get to a match, you can't change what you did six or three months ago. What you've done is done. I just step into the push position and compete. Whatever the result, I will deserve it. I learned how important it is to improve your turns and starts and work on your swing technique in training.

You yourself have been a part of quite tense races, especially in 2008. How important is the accuracy of timing equipment in swimming?

In my career, I have been part of many matches in which the decision was made by a tenth of a second or even less. In 2008, I won the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke, beating the runner-up by a hundredth of a second. It is the smallest difference in swimming that can determine the winner. Omega gear proved I was first. Having the best timing system in the world is definitely an advantage for us as it clearly shows the winner. I use Omega watches at major national and international events and they really are the best. It's a real honor to be in charge of timing.

You have already written yourself into history. What advice would you give to future generations of swimmers? How can they leave their mark?

I would tell growing kids to never give up. Everyone will come to a point where things are not going their best. But I think the key is what your heart says. If you want something badly enough, nothing will stand in your way. Even as a child I said I wanted to become the best swimmer of all time. In 2000, when my journey began, did I think I would be sitting here today? No. But I dreamed about it. I believed I could do it and I never gave up.

How old were you when you realized you wanted to be the best?

When I was 15, I told the agent, "I want to change the world of swimming." What that meant at the time, I don't know. But then I knew what I know today - I don't like to lose. I want to be the best at what I do.
It didn't matter if I was tired, hungry, or didn't feel like it. I always did my best. I didn't know the words "but" and "if", which was very important for me during my career. I didn't let anything get in my way, I went all or nothing.

Did your family help you with this?

I grew up in a house with three women and my mother was, and still is, one of the hardest working women I know. She raised three children and made sure we had everything we needed while completing her doctorate. Unbelievable. She gave us a chance to succeed. She taught us so many life lessons and I wouldn't be where I am without her. Just witnessing the hard work my mother put into everything she did, while still finding time for herself, was a tremendous lesson for us.

Which Omega product is your favorite right now?

What I love most about Omega is that they don't make watches that you see every day. Each piece is so different and special. I don't want to have the same watch as someone walking past me on the street, I want something completely different. I currently have a Dark Side of the Moon watch. There are so many variations. I love Black Black, the lines are so clean and classic. Omega always offers something you don't see every day. I myself like something that catches my eye and makes me think: "I have to have this watch."