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It's the end of an era!
After winning 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold, Michael Phelps is ready to retire from swimming.
"Done, done, done — and this time I mean it," he told "TODAY's" Matt Lauer on Monday. "I wanted to come back and finish my career how I wanted and this was the cherry on top of the cake."
The 31-year-old swimmer won five gold medals and one silver in Rio, which cements his title as the greatest swimmer of all time.
"Between now and London, I was so much more emotional during these Games, I think that showed at times on camera," he said of his experience in Rio. "That's the difference. Because I knew this was the last time. I knew this was the last race that I ever had, the last Olympics that I ever had. And everything just really hit hard."
Even though he won't be competing anymore, Phelps said he will continue to support his teammates.
"I told I told a bunch of them, I won't be far away, if they ever need anything to reach out," he revealed. "This has been such a passion of mine and a big sport for me. I want to help these guys as much as I can."
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Now that he's stepping away from the pool, the Olympian is ready to focus on his family -- fiancee Nicole Johnson and their 3-month-old son, Boomer.
"This is the part of my life where I get to start this whole new chapter," he declared.
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