Michael Phelps has been selected as Team USA’s flag bearer for Friday night’s Opening Ceremony for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Phelps is the first male American swimmer to qualify for five Olympic Games, and he is the most decorated Olympian of any sport in history, with 22 medals. He was chosen by other Team USA members. “I’m honored to be chosen, proud to represent the U.S., and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,” Phelps said. “For Sydney, I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. And now, I want to walk in the Opening Ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it’s about so much more than medals.”
