We Now Know What Triggered Michael Phelps’ Magnificent Stankface At Rio

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Published

August 29, 2016

One of the great mysteries from the glittering spectacle that was the very recent Rio Olympics (lord, how we miss thee) was what on earth possessed literal walking refinery Michael Phelps to make *that* face in prep for one of his attempts to make everyone else look foolish for even trying to swim in the first place.

You know the face we’re talking about. The scrunched up, devil-breathing, memes-got-nuked-faster-than-a-Phelps-world-record-because-Channel-Seven-had-the-Olympic-rights-wrapped-up-tighter-than-the-lid-on-a-pickle-jar face.

When you thought there was cheese on your salad but it’s actually carrot #PhelpsFace pic.twitter.com/xRI8Cs4n6z

— Kalen (@Kalen_Pancheri) August 18, 2016

If any Channel Seven types are reading this, that photo is a very, very good artists depiction of the original screenshot. Definitely not the actual screenshot itself. Not even a little bit.

The face, the #PhelpsFace as the internet so-decreed, became such a hit with so many after it surfaced that someone even went and dedicated part of their fleshy vessel to its everlasting glory.

But what caused it? What was running through his head? What demonic spirits were granting him the ability to shoot mental fire from his eyes at that particular moment in time.

Turns out? It was Future.

At the VMAs earlier today, Phelps appeared on stage at Madison Square Garden to introduce Future himself, as well as drop the tasty lil revelation that he was blasting Future’s ‘Stick Talk‘ through his headphones at the time of the face.

“I was in the zone, with Future’s ‘Stick Talk’ blaring in my headphones.”

Phelps being a homer for hip-hop ain’t exactly new information; the noted swimfan previously revealed he’d been listening to Eminem and Jeezy to get fired up to be the greatest Olympian of all time.

But this Future bizzo is definitely new info, and an interesting insight into how swimming’s GOAT fires himself up. Which for a former bong-ripping legend seems like a logical call.

Give it a bloody listen for yourself.