Who said that he was going to retire? he's only 23 and like you said he is at the top of his game.

I saw an interview of him last night and he didn't say he was going to retire :) There is a good chance that he'll also compete in the 2012 Olympics.

I watched an interview with him on the Today show this morning and he said he will start training for London, where the 2012 Olympics are being held, early next year or something like that. He's just taking a very well deserved break from training.

*Edit* I read an interview with him and he said that London will be his last Olympics and that he doesn't want to compete after he's 30. So I'm taking it he plans to retire in about seven years.

Yeah, I don't think he's planning on retiring until after the London Olympics. We'll see.

Swimming champion Michael Phelps flaunts his record-breaking eight Olympic gold medals on the latest cover of Sports Illustrated (Aug. 25, 2008 issue). The photo was inspired by Mark Spitz, the former Olympic swimming champ who showed off the seven golds he won at the 1972 Munich Games.

“What is the value of eight golds in Beijing before a prime-time audience in the U.S?” his agent Peter Carlisle asked. “I’d say $100 million over the course of his lifetime.”

That’s a whole lotta cash but Phelps still intends on competing at the 2012 London Olympics, where he hopes to add to his 14 Olympic gold medals (he won six in 2004’s Athens). “There are some times I still want to hit before I retire,” he said. “And I want to try some new events. That’s what’s keeping me going.”

And next week, Phelps will be traveling to London next week rather than stay in Beijing for the closing ceremonies. “I am going to London to do the handover for the next Olympics,” he said. “And hopefully prepare myself the way I did for these Games and be ready to compete in London.”

-Just Jared

MICHAEL PHELPS CAN'T RETIRE. HE IS TOOOOOOO GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES! AND BESIDES, LIKE YALL SAID,HE IS AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME. ALSO, HE JUST CAN'T QUIT ON US LIKE THAT!