5 to Watch: Phelps Wins His 28th and Final Olympic Medal

The most decorated Olympian of all-time ended his career on a high note

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It's another exciting weekend for Olympic athletes in the Rio Games.

Swimming came to a memorable end, with Michael Phelps taking gold in his his last Olympic event.

Here are five things to watch in Day 8 of the Rio Olympics:

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Michael Phelps competes in a Men's 100m Butterfly heat during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 11, 2016.

1. Michael Phelps' Seizes Final Chance at Winning Gold

The most decorated Olympic athlete of all-time won gold for his 28th and final Olympic medal in the 4x100m medley relay.

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Evergreen Park native Ryan Murphy swam first, setting an Olympic and world record in the backstroke with a time of 51.85 seconds to start Phelps' last race. 

Nathan Adrian and Cody Miller were also part of Team USA's Olympic-record setting relay, finishing in 3:27.95.

The event marked Phelps’ last swim in Rio, and as he revealed earlier Saturday, his last Olympic swim ever, ending his storied career on a high note.

The gold is Murphy's third after already winning the 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Rio.

Naperville swimmer Kevin Cordes fell short of winning an individual medal during his Olympic debut, but the relay victory gives him a medal thanks to his earlier participation in the heats.

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2. Madison Keys Falls Just Short of an Olympic Medal

Madison Keys made serious strides in Rio, as the only American player left in the women’s singles tennis competition following Serena Williams' stunning elimination.

But Keys finished her Olympic debut Saturday just short of medaling, losing the bronze medal match against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.

Keys, of Rock Island, advanced to the medal rounds after winning her quarterfinal match against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina on Thursday. On Friday, she faced off against Angelique Kerber, losing 6-3, 7-5, but advancing to the bronze medal match.

Keys fell to the two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova 2-1.

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3. Northwestern Student Jordan Wilimovsky Attempts to Go the Distance

Northwestern University student Jordan Wilimovsky dove into the Olympic swimming pool Saturday for his first chance at winning a medal, but fell just short in the men’s 1500m freestyle final. 

Wilimovsky took fourth place in the finals with a time of 14:45.03 after finishing third in the heats Friday, qualifying with a time of 14:48.23.

As a high schooler, Wilimovsky placed in the top 20 during the 1500 meter freestyle at the 2012 Olympic Trials in London. He redshirted from Northwestern this year to focus on his training in his home state of California. 

He won the first international open water race swam in the 2015 World Championships, which functioned as an Olympic qualifier, becoming the first U.S. swimmer to qualify for the Rio Games.

He is the current world champion in the 10km marathon swimming, which he will compete in later in the Games.

Usain Bolt (C) dances during a Jamaican Olympic Association and Puma press conference at the Cidade Das Artes in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 8, 2016.

4. Usain Bolt Captivates Crowd in Rio Debut

Usain Bolt turned the Olympic Stadium into his stage again for his first race at the Rio Games. With an easy win in his 100-meter heat, backed up by the trademark showmanship, he did not disappoint his crowd.

The roar was immense as soon as the Jamaican turned up on the track. Bolt returned the favor, spreading his arms wide and then applauding the crowd for their welcome and shouts of "Bolt-Bolt-Bolt."

His time of 10.07 seconds trailed that of his longtime rival Justin Gatlin by .06 seconds, but Bolt was running into a headwind while the American had the wind on his side.

Bolt is seeking to accomplish an unprecedented “Triple-Triple” by becoming the first athlete to win the 100m, 200m and 4x100 at three consecutive games. He’s certainly not lacking for confidence.

“I’ll win all three gold (medals),” he told CNN. “There’s never anything else for me when it comes to a championship."

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Emily Regan of the United States, Kerry Simmonds of the United States, Amanda Polk of the United States, Lauren Schmetterling of the United States, Tessa Gobbo of the United States, Meghan Musnicki of the United States, Eleanor Logan of the United States, Katelin Snyder of the United States compete in the Women's Eight Heat 1 on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Lagoa Stadium on Aug. 8, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

5. Dominant Rowers: U.S. Women's Eight Maintains Their Reign

The U.S. women’s eight rowers have won every world championship and Olympic gold since 2006, and now, they've won gold in Rio. Great Britain took silver and Romania the bronze.

This year’s team returns only two members of the gold-medal team in London: Meghan Musnicki, 33, who rowed at Ithaca College in upstate New York, and Elle Logan, a Stanford alum. Other Americans in the boat include local rower Amanda Elmore along with Amanda Polk, Tessa Gobbo, Kerry Simmonds, Emily Regan, Lauren Schmetterling and the coxswain, Katelin Snyder.

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