Michael Phelps Shows Katie Ledecky How to Wear Five Medals at Once

Katie Ledecky needed help arranging her medals so naturally she turned to expert Michael Phelpshttps://t.co/7OLYFT6ATt
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 16, 2016

Winning five Olympic medals is a science; wearing five Olympic medals is an art. Nobody knows this better than swimming legend Michael Phelps, who owns so many medals he could probably fashion them into a kind of chainmail unitard if he so wished.

As he departs the Olympic scene, Phelps is passing on his medal-wearing knowledge to the next generation of stars, namely fellow swimming sensation Katie Ledecky. The record-smashing phenom had some trouble aligning the five medals she won in Rio—four gold, one silver. She asked for some help from the veteran Phelps, whom Ledecky has looked up to at least since this fateful autograph session ten years ago, and the old timer was happy to oblige:

"It depends how you put them on. I put them on one-by-one, then tuck them behind."

Sound advice from the master. Try to remember that the next time you win five medals—an eventuality Phelps feels fairly confident about. As he explained how he knew the ropes—"I've done it before"—he added, "Don't worry, you'll learn."

Phelps and Ledecky took part in a photoshoot alongside gymnast Simone Biles for the cover of Sports Illustrated:

Biles has won two more medals in the time since this photo was taken, so she might have to re-enroll in the Phelps Medal-Arranging Academy.