Michael Phelps launched a harsh attack on the leadership of the U.S. swimming, after he believed it was years of organizational decline, the Olympic gold medalist’s imprint weakened and carried out tough reforms.
“I’ve seen too many teammates have a hard time playing sports they love without the support they need,” Phelps retired in 2016, retiring from competitive swimming. Written in lengthy Instagram posts. “I also saw the sport fighting, which is about returning its membership numbers to pre-pandemic levels, and I’ve pretended that the system works just because it produced medals.
The 40-year-old, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, won 28 medals, revealed his wide edges while revealing that he may not want his four young sons to participate in the sport because of the current status of swimming in the United States.
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Phelps traced his frustrations in his competitive career, saying he often felt his voice unheard of, “being told to be grateful for the opportunity to compete”, and it was more important to keep quiet and keep peace.
“First of all, I have to make it clear that I have the greatest respect for American swimmers who compete in the World Championships,” wrote Phelps, who retired in 2016.
“My criticism is by no means targeted at them – I know how honored their efforts and the honor of representing the U.S. National Team. My criticism is about the system, its leadership and how it fails. There have been cracks in the system, but over the past nine years, I have seen those cracks grow.”
Phelps volunteered to help solve the problems he raised and proposed several solutions, including increasing support for young swimmers and the need to prioritize elite swimmers over coaches.
“My door is open and there is still work to do,” he wrote.
Phelps isn’t the only American swimmer to criticize the organization. During the recent World Championships, Phelps’ former teammate Ryan Lochte released images of a mock funeral in the United States swim.
Phelps compared the success of the US swimming team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, who won 33 medals at last year’s Paris Olympics when they fell to the lowest medal in the pool since the 2004 Athens (28).
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