Michael Phelps has launched a scathing attack on USA Swimming’s leadership, with the 23-times Olympic gold medallist branding the body weak and demanding sweeping reforms after what he sees as years of organizational decline.
“I’ve watched too many teammates struggle to compete in a sport they love without the support they need,” Phelps, who retired from competitive swimming in 2016, wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “I’ve also seen the sport struggle to return its membership numbers to pre-pandemic levels, and I’m done pretending this system works just because it produces medals.
The 40-year-old, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, delivered his broadside while revealing he may not want his four young sons competing in the sport given the current state of swimming in the United States.
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Phelps traced his frustrations back through his competitive career, saying he often felt that his voice went unheard, was “told to be grateful for the chance to compete” and that it was more important to stay quiet and to keep the peace.
“First, I must be clear that I have the utmost respect for the US swimmers that competed at the World Championships,” Phelps, who retired in 2016, wrote.
“My criticism is in no way directed at them – I know how hard they work and how honoured they are to represent the US National Team. My criticism is about the system, its leadership, and how it’s failing. There have always been cracks in the system but in the last nine years, I’ve seen those cracks grow.”
Phelps volunteered to help address the issues he raised, and also proposed several solutions, including increased support of young swimmers and an prioritizing the needs of elite swimmers over coaches.
“My door is open and there is work to be done,” he wrote.
Phelps his not the only US swimmer to criticize the organization recently. During the recent world championships, Phelps’s former teammates, Ryan Lochte, posted an image of a mock funeral for USA Swimming.
Phelps compared the success of the US swim team at the Rio Olympics in 2016, where they won 33 medals, to the Paris Games last year when they slumped to their lowest medal haul in the pool (28) since the 2004 Games in Athens.
