Ink or swim? Tattoos tell a tale

"As long as I have space and money, I'll keep doing it. And time off, too ... because every time you tattoo something, you need 10 days out of the water.

"That's a graffiti I saw in Miami. I just took a picture and give it to him as a reference. That one's just a wing.

"I woke up one morning and thought 'I think I would look good with a wing on my arm'."

His compatriot, Etiene Medeiros won the women's 50m backstroke gold last Thursday and explained the differing motivations for her tattoos.

"I have an ocean mermaid on my forearm to bring its energy into my life, beneath it a lotus flower, which is rising from the ashes like a phoenix," said the 26-year-old Brazilian.

"Beneath that, an 'ohana' tattoo to remind me how blessed I am to have my family and friends.

"On my ankles, I have the name of my father and mother, I also have other ones which are hidden."

South African-born Dutch swimmer Kyle Stolk boasts a springbok and an Irish shamrock displayed on a resplendent Dutch flag.

"I wanted to incorporate the three places that have made me what I am today," said the swimmer, who learned his trade in Dublin, before moving to the Netherlands who he represented at the Rio Olympics.

"It might be a too flamboyant for some people but it means a lot to me," he said.

Agence France-Presse