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!

Teary-eyed Michael Phelps won the 19th gold medal of his Olympic swimming career. (Photo: AP)

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

(Photo: AP)

Nervous?

(Photo: AP)

America the Great

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/USA Swimming)

Tagging in After Caeleb Dressel

(Photo: AP)

Gauging the Gap

(Photo: AP)

Go, go, go!

(Photo: AP)

Tagging in Ryan Held

(Photo: AP)

Cheering On!

(Photo: AP)

(Photo: AP)

First Reactions, as Team USA Finishes First

(Photo: AP)

Brothers in Arms, Helping up Nathan Adrian

(Photo: AP)

First Achieved, Many More to Go

(Photo: AP)

Phelps’ Son Boomer Robert Phelps, Fiancée and Mother Cheer

(Photo: AP)

Happiness Galore

(Photo: AP)

19th Olympic Gold and Glistening Eyes

(Photo: AP)

21-Year-Old Ryan Held Breaks Down

(Photo: AP)

Big Brother Phelps

(Photo: AP)

(Photo: AP)

Many More Olympic Golds to Go?

(Photo: AP)

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!