Olympic legend Michael Phelps didn’t hold back as he took a jibe at USA Swimming following the latter’s public statement defending itself for the recent performance at the Aquatics World Championship in Singapore. The war has been brewing within US Swimming after Phelps and Ryan Lochte criticised the body after America’s superiority in the pool was threatened.
The event in Singapore saw the USA lead the medal table. However, by the time the competition concluded, China had ended up as the table-toppers in the overall standings with the most gold medals (15) and overall medals (37).
During the competition, Phelps and Lochte shared a meme on their social media handles showcasing the funeral of American swimming. Rowdy Gaines, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, also spoke up against USA Swimming and how the body was without a CEO, even though the next Olympics are in three years at home in Los Angeles.
This led to USA Swimming responding with a statement, saying the body was “saddened and disappointed at the timing of the comments”. The statement was attributed to the interim CEO, Bob Vincent.
“We respect and value the opinions of Rowdy, Michael, Ryan, and all USA Swimming alums. We acknowledge that their comments come from a place of passion and genuine desire to see USA Swimming succeed. We are saddened and disappointed at the timing of the comments. The USA Swimming team battled severe illness in Singapore, and these comments added public scrutiny to an already challenging situation for our athletes and coaches,” the statement read.
“We are incredibly proud of the resilience of our team in the face of such difficult circumstances and remain confident in the leadership, strategic direction, and culture established by newly appointed National Team Managing Director Greg Meehan,” the statement added.
Michael Phelps reacts
Reacting to the statement, Michael Phelps accused the USA federation of treating him like a “piece of meat” throughout his career.
“Maybe a false statement, because I know they didn’t reach out to Rowdy. They’ve shoved us out the door for years. Treated me like a piece of meat throughout my career. Hopefully it changes someday,” Michael Phelps wrote in the comments section of an Instagram post made by Big Friendly Swim Podcast’s account.
America did not have a great time at the Paris Olympics in 2024, winning just eight gold medals, the lowest total since the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Their preparations for the World Championships were affected by the case of “acute gastroenteritis”. Many athletes picked this up during a training camp in Thailand.
Phelps and Lochte’s criticism drew a sharp clap back from current American swimmer Lilly King. She tagged them on social media after a medal-winning night in Singapore, saying, “You have been real quiet tonight.”
Responding to this, Phelps wrote, “We should be so proud of how the team swam as a whole …. Right? Apologies for having higher expectations for the leadership of the team. My opinions were way off. USA Swimming has what they finally want: me to ‘stay in my lane’. They will continue to help the kids reach childhood dreams by their continued support.”
