The swimming world has pondered the mystery of a possible return to the pool for retired Olympic champion Michael Phelps, and the latest stop on his "mystery tour" as fans pine for a comeback was to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he filmed a commercial for Subway. The specter of comeback rumors for Phelps looms every time he makes a public appearance as the Olympic world wonders if Phelps will compete for more gold medals when Brazil hosts the 2016 Summer Olympics.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Phelps jokingly told a French news agency that his comeback is "the million-dollar question."
The rumors have circulated for a while now that Phelps may dip back into the pool at the 2016 games, and they only intensified when Phelps rejoined the international drug testing pool that meant he'd be able to actively compete as soon as 2014 if he chose to do so.
Phelps was once again non-committal about a comeback, which is perhaps maddening to many of his supporters.
"I've said 100 times if I feel like coming back ... I could," he told Agence France-Press, according to the Baltimore Sun. "But I'm not saying I am going to."
Phelps, who said a few months back that he was enjoying his life as a retired swimmer and was adamant that he would not return, has seemed to take a different approach in recent weeks as he hasn't ruled the idea of returning to the Olympics completely.
While Phelps was only in Brazil for business and fun this time around, the hope for many of his fans is that he'll be back there in 2016 to compete for another Olympic gold medal in the summer.
The Baltimore Sun reports that he's visited Brazil three times in the past 14 months. Will he be there in a little less than three years when the Olympics emanate from Rio de Janeiro? It remains to be seen.
Phelps has amassed 22 medals over his historic Olympic career with 18 being gold, two being silver and two being bronze.
Will he go for more gold in 2016?
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