MEDAL NO. 8: Michael Phelps gets a kiss from his mother after winning his final gold medal. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
NO. 7: Phelps exhults after winning the 100m butterfly by .001 over Serbia’s Milorad Cavic. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
NO. 6: Phelps celebrates after setting another world record, this time in the 200-meter IM. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
NO. 5: Phelps, left, and teammates accept gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle relay. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
NO. 4: Phelps leads the pack on his way to a gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
NO 3: Phelps leaps into the water on his way to a world record of 1:42.96 in the men’s 200m free. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
NO. 2: Phelps starts the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay en route to his second win. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
NO. 1: Phelps touches the wall in a record 4 minutes 7.82 seconds in the 400-meter IM. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)