Wednesday morning it was announced on TODAY that five-time Olympian Michael Phelps was selected to be the flag bearer when the delegation enters the Maracanã Friday night. It’s certainly a special honor for Phelps, as it’s determined by a vote in which all the members of Team USA participate. And while Phelps arrived in Rio as the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 22 medals (18 being gold medals), the path to this point after announcing that he was done with swimming following the 2012 London Olympics wasn’t always smooth for the Baltimore native.
VIDEO: Michael Phelps discusses flag bearer selection, path to Rio
