Michael Phelps Makes History at Olympic Swim Trials

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps received a very special birthday present this year.

The Rodgers Forge native turned 31 Thursday, the day after he qualified for his fifth Olympic team. He is the first U.S. swimmer in Olympic history to accomplish such a feat.

Phelps was the top finisher in the 200-meter butterfly this week, also swimming the 100 fly and 200 individual medley, while he scratched from the 100 and 200 freestyle to focus on his other events.

At the end of the 200-meter fly race, he held up five fingers to signal that he's made the cut for his fifth Olympic team.

"With everything that's happened...that's probably harder than any swim I've had in my life," Phelps told reporters.

Phelps recently got off probation after a 2014 DUI that resulted in a six-month suspension from competition.

In the past year and a half, he has also gotten engaged and become a father, all the while training for an Olympic comeback. Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 18 gold medals to his name.

Related:

• Michael Phelps Off Probation After DUI
• Michael Phelps Becomes a Dad
• Michael Phelps Engaged to California Beauty Queen
• Bored with Retirement, Phelps Pursues Rio Comeback

In other news, his newborn has been deemed the "Royal Baby" of the Olympic trials by The Baltimore Sun, which noted Boomer Phelps—not even two months old yet—is already racking up groupies and has an Instagram following upwards of 14,000.

Olympics photo from Wikimedia Commons.