Aside from all of his wins throughout the Rio Olympics this year, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps also made headlines earlier this month for his now-iconic “Phelps face.”
Phelps’ death stare, aimed at longtime rival South Africa’s Chad Le Clos, went viral when he was just about to compete in the men’s 200-meter butterfly finals. And during MTV’s Video Music Awards Sunday night, the gold medalist shared the song he was listening to when he made the intense face.
#VMAs: Michael Phelps introduces Future https://t.co/P3hkhhoKsk pic.twitter.com/gjTI0ZwXDl
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 29, 2016
“Remember in Rio, when I made that face that ended up all over the internet?” Phelps asked. “I was in the zone with Future’s track, ‘Stick Talk,’ blaring in my headphones.”
Phelps came out of retirement to avenge himself after losing to Le Clos in the 2012 London Games. The “Phelps face” not only went viral but also became the subject of several memes on Twitter, including comparisons between the athlete and Anakin Skywalker of “Star Wars” when the character transformed into Darth Vader.