‘This Is It': Phelps Confirms He's Retiring After Rio on Facebook Live

But the 22-time gold medalist said he'd enjoy racing against Katie Ledecky, who "would whoop me" at her signature 800-meter

Yes, Michael Phelps really is retiring from Olympic swimming after Rio. 

The American swimmer with 22 gold medals held a Facebook Live session Saturday, answering questions on a wide range of topics as upwards of 60,000 people joined the session.

He said he thought he would win in a race with Katie Ledecky, and insisted, despite his roommates chanting "four more years," that he's not going to race in one more Olympics despite all the success he's had in Brazil. 

"We're not going four more years, this is it," Phelps said. "Tonight's the last time that I'll be suiting up and racing at this level. I'm not swimming Masters either — no offense to Masters."

He insisted he's done even after the hashtag #4moreyears started popping up in his feed.

Instead, Phelps plans to spend time with his baby son and fianceé, whom he's marrying at the end of the year. When he leaves the Olympics, he said he hopes to put on some weight beyond his 190 pounds, maybe with some burgers and steak.

Phelps has nabbed four gold medals in Rio, with one more race, a relay, Saturday night. 

As for Ledecky, who's been the other utterly dominant swimmer in Rio, he thinks they'd have a good race. 

"I think I could take her in a 400," Phelps said. "800 or above, she would whoop me and tear me to shreds."

Phelps said the crowd in Rio is loud and gets him "pumped." He tipped his cap to Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling, who beat him in the 100-meter butterfly Friday night, saying "that kid swam an amazing race."

What's going through Phelps' head when he's going through the water? "Hopefully I get my hand on the wall first. That's usually what's going through my head."

His room can apparently get a little rowdy at nights, with Enrique Iglesias blaring. Some on the team watched the movie "Hoosiers" before a recent race, and Phelps couldn't speak highly enough about it. 

Already a world-renowned athlete, Phelps gained extra notoriety at the Rio Olympics for two things: his intense #PhelpsFace in the warm-up before the 200-meter buttefly semi-final, and the round bruises all over his body from a restorative process called cupping. 

The swimmer discussed both in the Facebook Live session, saying he has no idea what the face was but that it "awesome" someone got a tattoo of it, and that cupping is like a quick, intense massage.

Sports rivalries came to the fore after Phelps identified himself a die-hard fan of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens (the two books he's read this year were both given to him by Ravens great Ray Lewis).

Steelers fans showed up to the chat, and when an Ohio State fan arrived — Phelps went to Michigan — Phelps tried to find some unity: "Team USA!"

Missed the session? Watch the replay above, or follow Phelps, who said he'll return for another Facebook Live session as soon as Sunday.

Some of Phelps' favorite things:

  • Coke or Pepsi: Coca-Cola
  • Movie: "Tommy Boy"
  • Soccer player: Lionel Messi
  • Ice cream flavor: The Tonight Dough, Ben & Jerry's "Tonight Show"-themed brand, featuring Jimmy Fallon on the container.
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