OMAHA, Neb. -- Michael Phelps chuckled. He paused. Then he looked away. He needed a second. The man who had spent almost his entire career hiding his true emotions was about to break down in tears. A few minutes earlier, in the arena where he has created so many memories over the past eight years, he had just qualified for his fifth consecutive Olympic team, a first for a U.S. male. And without much time to process, he struggled to articulate exactly what it meant.That was probably harder than any swim I had in my life, Phelps confessed.For once, it wasnt entirely about what had just happened in the water. Oh sure, he was pleased to win Wednesday nights 200-meter butterfly (1:54.84), the event in which he first qualified for the Olympics 16 years ago as well as the one in which his older sister, Whitney, once competed. But this was just as much about the person Phelps had become as an adult. The one who spent 45 days at an inpatient addiction treatment facility in late 2014 after his second DUI arrest. The one who is rebuilding his relationship with his father, whom he hadnt talked to regularly for decades. The one who finally stopped stiff-arming the people who cared about him most whenever they suggested he needed to grow up and change. And the one who is embracing the final chapter of his swimming career and allowing himself to feel all those emotions he for so long tried to shove away.Its just where Im at in life, Phelps explained later. Things are probably going to hit me a lot more emotionally now than what they would have in the past because Im enjoying and embracing the moment.This week, every time he has walked into CenturyLink Center for finals, Phelps says he has felt chills. They were there Sunday night when he raised his hands high above his head to cheer for teammate and good friend Chase Kalisz in the 400-meter individual medley. They were there a day later when he did the same for Allison Schmitt, who lives with him and his fiancé in Arizona. And they were there Tuesday and Wednesday when he was the one diving into the water.Wednesday, when he competed in his first final at these trials, it was fitting in a way that he and the other seven finalists in the 200 fly paraded onto the pool deck to Mark Morrisons Return of the Mack. A few minutes later, he was returning to the Olympics. When it was over, Phelps hung on the lane line and signaled No. 5 with his hand.In the stands, his fiancé, Nicole Johnson, bobbed up and down with their 7-week-old baby, Boomer, in his arms, the boys ears covered in red, white and blue stars-and-stripes headphones. To their left, Michaels mother, Debbie, frantically cheered. And four seats down the row, Michaels father, Fred, clapped in proud approval. And then there was his sister Hillary, newly married. This is what mattered most, a group unlike any other that had cheered for him in any of his previous four trials. From his future wife and son to his father, whom he was barely talking to during the Beijing and London Olympics, one night after meeting Boomer for the first time.Its just really good to have kind of the whole family here, Phelps said later. Everybody from my mom to Nicole to my father and Boomer. Having them all here to support me, together -- its just amazing. Phelps said Boomer had managed to stay awake for most of his dads race. After receiving his medal, he walked over to where his family was sitting, handed his championship flowers to Nicole and leaned in to give Boomer a kiss.I just wanted to share that with them, he said. Its just special being able to have Nicole and Is first born being part of this journey that we are on right now.Phelps wasnt thrilled with his time Wednesday night. It was the fifth-fastest time in the world this year and almost two seconds off his top time from 2015. But all that mattered was finishing the race with a 1 or 2 next to his name and earning one of those 26 spots on the U.S. team. For the fifth time. Its a stunning accomplishment, really. Consider that the main story line from here this week has been the changing of the guard, with 19 of the 27 swimmers who have made the team so far heading to their first Olympics. Digging deeper, of the nine reigning Olympic gold medalists from London who are competing at trials, four of them have thus far failed to make the 2016 team in that same event. And yet Phelps just qualified for his fifth consecutive Olympics. On the eve of his 31st birthday. At a time when the average age of the 13 potential U.S. men to make the team before him was 23.2.Back in 2000, after making the team in the 200 fly, Phelps coach Bob Bowman said the post-race news conference was filled with questions like, Do you have a girlfriend? and Have you kissed her? Now the questions are about fatherhood. And legacy. Weve progressed in subject matter over the 16 years, Bowman joked Wednesday night.Thursday, Phelps will celebrate his birthday by swimming in the prelims and likely semifinals of the 200-meter individual medley, another event in which he had the top time in the world in 2015. Depending on when he gets out of the arena, there might be a dinner with family and friends, but for the most part the celebrating will be muted. Between now and when trials end Sunday, there will be no days off. Every session Ill be going, Ill be firing.Phelps has made a career out of refusing to discuss his end-of-season goals and this, his final year, has been no different. But after his victory Wednesday night, he hinted at what might be in store for Rio. Its a jaw dropper. Phelps suggested that hed like to get one more personal best before he retires, something he hasnt done since world championships in 2009, the last major international meet with speed-inducing tech suits.Its been a hell of a long time since Ive had a best time, Phelps said. Hopefully I can get one more in the last four weeks or so, here or there.With everything that hell be facing in and out of the water, it wont be easy in Rio. Especially in the 200 fly, the race that has meant so much to him all these years.This 200 fly that will happen in the next couple weeks, he said, will be harder than any 200 fly Ive ever done.Clayton Thorson Youth Jersey . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. 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Dallas Goedert Womens Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team.DOHA, Qatar -- IOC President Thomas Bach defended his handling of the Russian doping scandal, attacked critics of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and claimed no cities would have bid for the 2024 Games without his Agenda 2020 reform program.In a speech to the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees on Tuesday, Bach appeared determined to counter the negative public perception surrounding the Olympic movement following a turbulent year of doping crises, the troubled buildup to Rio and continuing concerns over the costs of hosting the games.Bach cited media headlines in the months ahead of the Rio Games about security, water quality, the Zika virus and allegations of state-sponsored doping in Russia. Citing Donald Trumps victory in the U.S. presidential election last week, Bach said the Rio Games were a case study in the difference between published opinion and public opinion and between perception and reality.Bach said the Rio Games were a great success, citing record global television viewership and social media interest, though he made no mention of the empty seats and organizational glitches that also affected the event. Bach said the success of the games was a miracle in light of the severe recession and political turmoil that Brazil has been going through.He also went to great lengths to defend the International Olympic Committees decision not to impose a total ban on Russia from the games, saying he has received support from dozens of world leaders on the issue.The World Anti-Doping Agency had called for the complete ban following a report by investigator Richard McLaren that detailed systematic, state-assisted doping in Russia. The IOC instead allowed international sports federations to decide which Russian athletes could compete.Bach said he has met with many heads of state and government since the games and all backed the IOCs position.They appreciated and acknowledged we did not take a political decision but we took a decision that took in the interest of sport and respected justice for clean athletes and protecting the clean athletes worldwide, he said. To see this acknowledgement and this appreciation by so many political leaders was a confirmation of our decision and is a great encouragement for all of us.McLarens finall report is due out next month and will focus on allegations of Russian doping and manipulation of samples at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.dddddddddddd Two IOC commissions are also looking into the allegations, which could lead to calls for sanctions on Russia for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.Bach said once the investigations and hearings are completed, the IOC will take the necessary measures and all the sanctions because if only part of this would be true, it would be an unprecedented attack on the integrity on the Olympic Games and on the Olympic competitions.On a separate issue, Bach said no cities would have come forward as candidates to host the 2024 Summer Games had the IOC not passed his Olympic Agenda 2020 project, which aims to reduce the cost of hosting the games and insists on maximum use of existing and temporary facilities.Several cities pulled out of bidding for the 2022 Winter Games over financial and political concerns. Last month, Rome withdrew from the 2024 race because of opposition from the citys new mayor. That decision leaves Los Angeles, Paris and Budapest, Hungary, as candidates.Without `Olympic Agenda 2020, we would have had zero candidates, Bach said. There would have been none. All of the candidates who you will see now and the others who were in the race or considering in the race, they can confirm this to you. They told us this.Bach also said that high-ranking Olympic official Patrick Hickey, who was arrested during the Rio Games on ticket scalping charges, deserves the presumption of innocence pending the resolution of his case. Hickey, who is not permitted to leave Brazil, has temporarily stepped down as a member of the IOC executive board and president of the European Olympic Committees.Bach said Hickeys arrest shows Olympic officials are not immune and must obey the laws and rules in other countries.What was in the past something that just concerned us in an organization is now concerning the rules and the laws of a country, Bach said. These laws of the country we have to respect, and each and every one of you has to take them into consideration when acting accordingly. ' ' '