In Pics: 19 Pictures of Michael Phelps Winning his 19th Gold Medal

Phelps’ first competitive appearance in the pool at his fifth Games saw tears, smiles, nerves and cheers!

Michael Phelps made his Rio debut on Monday as he won the 19th gold medal of his Olympic swimming career in the US men’s 4x100 metre freestyle relay.

The 31-year-old’s first competitive appearance in the pool at his fifth Games was a power-packed one from start to finish.

Here are 19 moments during the race that saw Phelps win his 19th Olympic gold medal:

Team US Walks in Hand-in-Hand

Nervous?

America the Great

Tagging in After Caeleb Dressel

Gauging the Gap

Go, go, go!

Tagging in Ryan Held

Cheering On!

First Reactions, as Team USA Finishes First

Brothers in Arms, Helping up Nathan Adrian

First Achieved, Many More to Go

Phelps’ Son Boomer Robert Phelps, Fiancée and Mother Cheer

Happiness Galore

19th Olympic Gold and Glistening Eyes

21-Year-Old Ryan Held Breaks Down

Big Brother Phelps

Many More Olympic Golds to Go?

At the London Olympics in 2012, which he had declared to be his last games, Phelps won four gold and overall six medals.

Eventually, he found himself testing the waters of a swimming comeback, which was interrupted by a second drunk driving arrest in 2014 and a stint in rehab. However, Phelps came right back up, and how! He seemed to be a transformed, more focused Phelps after the birth of his son Boomer.

The gold on Monday was just the first, we’re sure, of many in what might be Phelps’ last Olympics!