Why Michael Phelps won't stay retired, according to his fiancee

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michael phelps nicole johnson

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Michael Phelps and his fiancée, Nicole Johnson.

Now that he's won a career total of 28 Olympic medals, Michael Phelps says he's officially retired from swimming. But according to his fiancée Nicole Johnson, there's still a chance we might see him compete again at the 2020 summer games in Tokyo.

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The bride-to-be - and mother of the adorable, internet-famous Boomer Phelps - told Cosmopolitan that the swimming legend is pretty sure he wants to stay out of the water (professionally).

"I look at it a few different ways. I don't see him coming back because he went out exactly how he wanted to go out, and he's happy, and he did what he wanted to do," she told Cosmo. "He wasn't forced into it. From that standpoint, I don't see him going back."

Michael Phelps Nicole Johnson Olympics

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Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson with their son Boomer at the Rio Olympics.

But, she admitted, Phelps' son is only 3 months old and won't remember his experience at the Rio games. That could be a major push for Phelps to compete once again on the world stage.

"Then again, you never know. Maybe he misses it so much and maybe Boomer convinces him that he has to go back so Boomer can remember it," Johnson said.

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Plus, there's always the addition of a new member of their family to consider down the line.

"[Maybe] We'll have somebody else who's like, 'Why am I not in those pictures?' Maybe that will push Michael enough to go back," she theorized to Cosmo.

And so, while Phelps is currently adamant that he won't be competing in Tokyo, there's still a glimmer of hope that we'll get to witness him competing once again.

Of course, Phelps' teammate Ryan Lochte has already predicted that he'll be back in the water in no time.

"I guarantee he will be there," Lochte told NBC. "I think so, I really think so. So Michael, I'll see you in Tokyo."

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Check out Johnson's full interview - where she discusses everything from her wedding plans to Lochte's scandal - here.

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