Here’s Why Attention at the Paris Olympics Is on Retired Michael Phelps: His Gray Beard, Handsome Son, & Elegant Wife

Olympic viewers are buzzing over retired swimming sensation Michael Phelps and his family at this year’s games (2024). The superstar athlete, his wife, Nicole Johnson Phelps, and their precious baby boy, Nico Phelps, have captured the attention and hearts of the public with their appearances as seen in the widely circulated photos and videos of the trio shared online.

Taking to Instagram to share glimpses of their time at the Paris Olympics, Michael, who is rocking a bold beard with flecks of gray and a top knot, shared a carousel post showing photos of him, Nicole, and Nico.

Amid the heartwarming family snaps comes a standout image depicting the trio happily posing for a picture, where Nico is seen rocking a cute baby-sized red beret.

Another shows the 5-month-old being propped up by his doting mom as he looks at something worth his interest in his dad’s hand.

The fourth photo shows Nicole looking radiant in a pink USA tank top as she holds onto her baby boy, who is dressed in a baby denim dungaree. They stand in front of beautiful flowers and Paris 2024 Olympics banners.

Another striking photo shows the beautiful family showing off their pearly whites for the camera in front of a breathtaking view of the famous Eiffel Tower.

Last but certainly not least, comes another adorable image of Nicole, Nico, and Michael closely watching an Olympics event from a VIP box. In this photo, baby Nico, who sports protective headphones, looks just as invested in what’s going on as his dad does.

“Baby’s first rave,” Michael humorously penned in the caption that accompanied his carousel post. In addition to the photos that the doting dad shared of him and his family, more were shared on other online platforms, showing additional precious familial moments.

Among the flurry of photos, came a video depicting the father and son at one of the events. Footage showed Michael bouncing Nico up and down in his lap and occasionally lowering his head to coo in his ear and check up on him.

The video was published by the official account of Euro Sport. Alongside their video, they captioned, “Michael Phelps showing his son what it takes to be an Olympic champion very early  #Paris2024.”

Upon seeing the media that was posted of Michael, Nicole, and Nico, many took to online comment sections to shower the trio with praise, especially where Nico and his mom were concerned. “Looks like his mom!! Adorable ,” swooned a fan.

Similarly, another echoed, “Looks like Momma!!!! .” “OMG, he’s gorgeous,” exclaimed an admirer on Facebook. Bringing Nicole into the mix, someone else gushed, “His wife is so beautiful and elegant.”

Others drew their attention to Michael’s appearance, expressing how they feel about his beard. “I know Michael Phelps must be single because no serious girlfriend or wife would let him go on Olympic television with that haircut and beard,” asserted someone on X.

A person who was taken aback by Michael’s beard stated, “I remember when Michael Phelps was a [15-year-old] phenom now he’s got gray in his beard.”

“Michael Phelps with gray in his beard makes me feel older than I’ve ever felt before,” said another. They published their comment alongside a post about Michael cheering on gymnast superstar Simone Biles.

Another X netizen commented, “@MichaelPhelps I love when [the] camera shows you’re there during all the swim [meets.] Thank you love seeing the baby. I just have to ask you tho [.] What’s with the beard ???”

In addition to baby Nico, Michael and Nicole have three more sons, Boomer, Beckett, and Maverick Phelps. Recently, Michael disclosed whether or not he and Nicole plan to try for a baby girl after welcoming four boys.

Speaking exclusively to E! News on June 26 at the premiere of the docuseries “Fueled By,” the 28-time Olympic medalist revealed, “Oh, I think that’s it. Nicole will tell you too. I think she said she wanted a girl for me, but we have Onyx.”

Onyx is the family’s Great Dane. Concluding his statement, Michael added, “Onyx is our girl, so we got everything. We got four boys, we got an awesome girl now.”

Michael also spoke about his perspective on fatherhood, expressing how it has been “something that’s been special,” especially given the fact that he mentioned he “kind of” grew up without a dad.

Given that Michael’s parents divorced when he was young, the iconic athlete said his ability to be able to be around for his sons in every single moment “has been a treat.”

However, being parents to four boys, three of whom are close in age (eight, six, and four), is not without its challenges, especially when they get into “roughhousing.”

Sharing how he and Nicole combat this, Michael divulged, “So when they’re going at each other, we pull them apart and you say, ‘Lion breath.’ And then they’re able to talk through the things that they’re experiencing in their stomach.”

Michael noted how great it is to get to see his boys using the tools he and Nicole Johnson Phelps give them to work out issues and identify their emotions.

“I think that’s something that I didn’t learn until later in life. So some of those little small things are hopefully going to make an impact and change how they look at mental health in the future,” he disclosed.

The doting patriarch also shared the sweet nickname his kids gave him, which underscores his knack for swimming and his ability to take care of his mental and physical health—”Aquaman.”

In addition to the details he has shared about his sons, Michael Phelps has also been known to post pictures of them on social media. One instance saw him share a shirtless photo of him holding Nico shortly after he was born, which prompted a wave of comments from social media users.

Some pondered why the 39-year-old was shirtless while holding his baby boy. In this regard, one person expressed, “Most people have a shirt on. No jealousy, just strange, no??”

Another asserted, “No shirt?? Anything for more attention!” Someone else commented, “It’s a beautiful picture, but he’s def the star, not [the] baby.”

Although some found it bizarre that Michael held onto his son while being shirtless, others felt otherwise. One Instagrammer explained, “Lots of new parents practice skin on skin to promote self-regulation & bonding.” Similarly, another social media user stated, “It’s about fathers bonding with [their] newborn.”

Another defended the medal winner, saying, “[The] Phelps family can do what they want.” A fan of the swimmer gushed, “He managed to win everything [in] the pool, and now he wins…outside it too by having a lovely family of 4 little boys .”

Last year, before Nico was born, his doting mom shared that she and Michael were expecting. Nicole posted an anniversary photo of the two of them where she showed off her baby bump and confirmed they were expanding their family.

Michael and Nicole have been married since 2016, after meeting in 2007. Following a few years of on-and-off dating, the couple got engaged in 2015.