Michael Phelps voiced his concerns about the state of USA Swimming in an Instagram post on 14/8. "I've watched too many of my teammates struggle in a sport they love without the support they deserve," he wrote. "I've also watched our sport struggle to bring membership numbers back to pre-pandemic levels. I can't continue to pretend that this system is working, just because we have some medals.".
The 28-time Olympic medalist expressed uncertainty about his four sons pursuing swimming given the current state of the sport in the US. Phelps believes these issues have existed for years but "the cracks have become chasms in the past 9 years." He shared his own experiences of being ignored, told to "be grateful for the opportunity to compete," and to "stay quiet to avoid making waves.".
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Michael Phelps with his wife Nicole Phelps and their four sons. Photo: Instagram / Nicole Phelps |
Michael Phelps with his wife Nicole Phelps and their four sons. Photo: Instagram / Nicole Phelps
Phelps emphasized his respect for the US athletes who competed at the world championships, clarifying his criticism was directed at the system and leadership, not the athletes themselves.
The 40-year-old proposed several reforms, including an independent review of the leadership, increased transparency, enhanced athlete services, strengthening youth programs, and prioritizing elite athlete needs over coaches. "My door is always open, and there is still much work to be done," Phelps stated, expressing his willingness to participate in the reform process.
Phelps compared the US Olympic swimming team's performance over the past two decades. From its peak at Rio 2016 with 33 medals, including 16 golds, the US has seen a decline. At Tokyo 2020, the US still topped the swimming medal table with 30 medals but only 11 golds. This downward trend continued in Paris 2024, with the US earning 28 medals (the lowest since Athens 2004), including only 8 golds—the fewest since Seoul 1988—and just one more gold than Australia. For the first time in two decades, the US also lost its dominance in some of its strongest events, such as the men's 4x100m medley relay and the women's 200m butterfly.
The Paris 2024 performance also fell short of Phelps' early success in Athens 2004 (28 medals with 12 golds), his peak in Beijing 2008 (31 medals with 12 golds), and London 2012 (31 medals with 16 golds).
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Michael Phelps poses with all his Olympic medals. Photo: Sports Illustrated |
Michael Phelps poses with all his Olympic medals. Photo: Sports Illustrated
Following the recent world championships in Singapore, Ryan Lochte posted a picture of a tombstone to criticize the team's performance. Phelps reshared the post, adding the comment: "Is this the wake-up call USA Swimming needs?".
Michael Phelps is considered the greatest Olympian of all time, with 28 medals, including 23 golds, across five Olympic Games (2000-2016). He holds multiple world records and has been a symbol of success for US swimming for over a decade.
Hong Duy (The Guardian)
