Michael Phelps Reveals How His Viral Stare Down Came to Be, Risks Fate Playing Egg Russian Roulette With Jimmy Fallon

The most decorated Olympian in history became a Internet sensation after making a face in the ready room

By Samantha Schnurr Sep 02, 2016 12:10 PMTags

He's seen Jimmy Fallon's Ryan Lochte impression. Now, Michael Phelps is ready for the late-night host's version of the infamous Phelps stare down.

As one of the stand out viral moments of the 2016 Rio Olympics, the most decorated Olympian in history was caught making quite the angry face while preparing for his next race in early August.

With his jacket hood up and his headphones in, Phelps was spotted staring intensely into the void with his hands clasped in his lap while his 200-meter butterfly competitor, South African swimmer Chad le Clos, was shadowboxing in front of him. 

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Every Time Michael Phelps Has Won an Olympic Gold Medal
Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

"The worst is—I was sitting in the ready room and I remember, like I always know there's always two cameras in the upper right hand corner," he explained to Fallon Thursday on The Tonight Show. "As I'm making a face, I'm like, 'Yup that's on camera…someone will pick that up tomorrow.'"

Phelps was right. It instantly became a viral hit, sparking comparisons to practically everything, from Darth Vader to his own infant son, Boomer Phelps

Instagram

Boomer was also an instant hit with the Internet, his Instagram photos in America-themed baby garb making the rounds online sometimes faster than his famous father could swim. 

"He went from 5,000 followers in late June…to like 660,000 followers," Phelps explained of the 4-month-old's impressive social media influence. Combined with his unique name, little Phelps is bound to be a hit at the lunch table.

"We didn't want a normal name," Michael explained of his son's unique moniker. "He's definitely gonna be the cool kid."

As cool as his dad? That might not be too difficult. While Phelps has a dream Olympic record to his name, he lost miserably to Fallon during a game of Egg Russian Roulette. 

The task was simple—each player was tasked with picking from a carton of eggs and smashing their selection on their head. If it was a hard-boiled egg, the player was safe. If it was still raw, the player lost a point. After two runny smashes, that player was deemed the loser. As Fallon taunted Phelps, "You're not gonna get the gold here—only golden yolks."

Defying the odds, Michael managed to pick two of the four raw eggs on his first and second turn and immediately handed over the victory to Jimmy. Guess even Phelps can't be a winner all the time.