Splash landing: Michael Phelps takes the plunge at Rio 2016 in his first training session
The most-decorated Olympian of all time trains at Olympic Aquatic Centre with team USA
Michael Phelps swam for nearly an hour in the afternoon and the U.S. swimmer planned to return for an evening practice (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
After touching down in Rio de Janeiro just after midnight, Michael Phelps took his first leisurely laps in the main competition pool at the Olympic Aquatics Centre this afternoon (2 August).
Team USA arrived for their first look at the Rio 2016 swimming venue and toured the deck in sneakers and shorts before changing into their practice suits. They held a poolside team huddle and cheer.
Michael Phelps drew attention everywhere he went on his first day in Rio de Janeiro (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
At the nearby warm-up pool, the team hung a USA flag on the wall amongst other flags, including Germany, Great Britain, Canada and China, as delegations carved out a little territory at the busy practice pool.
Wearing a starred-and-striped swimsuit, the nine-time Olympic champion reached for a Powerade before leaving the warm-up pool for the lanes at the main competition venue.
Strolling on the pool deck, close friends and team-mates Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
For the afternoon's training, the USA first set up in lane 5 before spilling over to lane 3 where Phelps joined them. He dived in the water at 2:20pm and began with a long underwater pull before popping up in freestyle. He swam for 50 minutes before taking a practice start and climbing out of the pool.
Phelps took only a few strokes of butterfly but did lengths of backstroke and breaststroke (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
Phelps will look to defend his individual Olympic titles in the men's 100m and 200m butterfly and the 200m individual medley. He will also race the men's 4x100m freestyle relay.
Olympic Games tickets are available to buy on the Rio 2016 portal
Phelps stands six-foot-four and has a disproportionate wingspan of six-foot-seven inches (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
He is a four-time Olympian — Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 —and 22-time Olympic medalist with 18 golds, two silvers and two bronzes (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
Phelps is engaged and has a son (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
Phelps competed for the University of Michigan (Photo: Rio 2016/Gabriel Heusi)
