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Erik Kabik/ErikKabik.com
Michael Phelps and David Guetta at Encore Beach Club on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012.
Mon, Sep 3, 2012 (11:45 p.m.)
Swimmer Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian of all time with 22 medals, 18 of them gold, celebrated his retirement from competitive swimming with friends at Surrender Nightclub and Encore Beach Club at Steve Wynn’s Encore.
The celebration began Friday night at Surrender, where Phelps was joined by Olympic gold medalist and training partner Allison Schmitt and poker professional Phil Hellmuth. Phelps was given a hero’s welcome from the packed nightclub as he entered the DJ booth to join his friend, Grammy winner and Dutchman Afrojack.
Phelps fired the nitro cannon into the crowd and then got on the microphone and shouted, “This is my first night of retirement at Surrender!” He then threw back a shot of Grey Goose, and the party continued into the early hours of the morning.
The festivities continued Saturday at Encore Beach Club as Phelps partied in a bungalow overlooking the daytime revelers and enjoyed the sounds of superstar DJ David Guetta. Schmitt, fellow Olympic gold medalist swimmers Nathan Adrian and Charles Houchin and several other friends joined Phelps for fun in the sun.
Encore Beach Club’s bikini-clad servers presented him with a cake paying tribute to the 22 Olympic medals he won during his swimming career, the most ever for any Olympian and including the record-setting eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Phelps and Schmitt worked their way down past the pool where they greeted fans before joining Guetta in the DJ booth. The crowd roared with excitement and began chanting “USA! USA! USA!” as the Olympians grinned from ear to ear. The excitement continued as Wynn and his wife Andrea entered the DJ booth and joined in the memorable moment.
Thanks to contributing photographers Erik Kabik and Amanda Nowak for their photo gallery of Phelps and Guetta frolicking in the holiday weekend sun.
Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and senior editor, arts and entertainment, of LasVegasSun.com.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
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— From LasVegasWeekly.com
