Michael Phelps has it all: the most Olympic medals (23), the record of the most golds won in a single games (8 in Bejing 2008) and he's had even a street in his home town renamed after him (Michael Phelps Way in Baltimore). But does he have a strong connection with the force, too?

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That’s the theory put forward after Phelps' pre-race prep for the 200m butterfly semi-finals in Rio looked a tad, well, Sith-ish. While South Africa’s Chad Le Clos got ready for the bout with shadowboxing (presumably with the Rocky theme song playing in his head), Phelps sat cloaked in a hoodie with large headphones blasting on his ears and a death stare on his face.

Twitter wasn’t going to let that slip.

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Fortunately Phelps won’t have time to pillage a Jedi temple thanks to his packed schedule, including the 200m butterfly final, tomorrow at 2.30am.

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