Phelps gets phone call from Obama

"The craziest thing was just when I answered the phone and they were like, ‘Michael?' And I said: ‘Yes.'

Michael Phelps

"And they said: ‘Please hold for the President of the United States' and I was, like, ‘OK!'" Phelps, whose perfect eight-gold campaign in Beijing had already given him the most gold medals of any Olympian.

"He just got on and was saying how everyone is supporting me and is behind me at home and how proud everyone is of me," Phelps said.

"It was a good call," Phelps said.u00a0