Winning 23 Olympic gold medals and 28 overall, what more can anyone achieve? Michael Phelps dominated swimming like no one else, setting records and inspiring millions. Yet even the greatest athlete of all time isn’t immune to frustration. Ten years after retiring, Phelps remains somehow involved in the sport, not as a competitor, but as someone watching closely how current swimmers navigate challenges. However, he isn’t happy with what he’s seeing.
In a recent interview with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, on YouTube, the host asked Phelps, “From my standpoint, if I were involved with USA Swimming, I would be on a plane the next day trying to figure out how I get Michael Phelps involved and make you a big part of this.”
Ahmed was referring to the fact that someone of Michael Phelps’ caliber and experience on USA Swimming’s board could make a tremendous difference to the sport based on his unique and unsurpassed view of the sport of elite swimming over 16 years, from Sydney 2000 to Rio 2016.
Phelps didn’t hold back. He revealed, “I don’t think USA Swimming did everything that they could have done to help us be our best. And if I’m saying that and I’m feeling that… I’ve tried to make some kind of positive change. To be honest, I’ve felt like they just shut the door on my face and told me to get lost. It’s hard, because all I want to do is make change for the athletes because that’s the most important thing and they don’t treat the athletes as they should.”
Michael Phelps also gave good examples of where he sees leadership failing, “There needs to be more transparency with absolutely everything. There needs to be more accountability. And again, the athletes need to be put first. I’ve never felt like I was put first. I just did things because I was going to do them and nobody was going to get in my way.”
Phelps, even in the past, has referenced the performance of Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where only approximately 44% of the medals projected were earned, the lowest percentage since 1988. His emphasis was that the underperformance was not the fault of the athletes but it was an indication of structural flaws in leadership. He had attempted to assist previously in the year by writing a lengthy letter containing suggestions on reform, which, he said, “seemed to fall on deaf ears.”
Also, the lack of strong leadership, he said, is especially worrying with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approaching. “It took us 372 days to find a new CEO. How is that possible? I’d like to do whatever I can do to help. But again, every time I’ve gone to them and said stuff, the old national team director told me I didn’t know what the [ __ ] I was talking about,” Phelps said, underlining that his frustration is with the administration, not the athletes.
Here, he was referring to Kevin Ring, who was selected as the new President and CEO of USA Swimming in 2025. Ring officially started on September 17. He previously served as President of Golf at Legends, a global, data-driven company providing services across sports and entertainment. But it took more than a year to fill the role, and that delay is exactly what has been bothering Phelps.
With his honest confession, Michael Phelps adds a powerful push to the criticism USA Swimming is facing.
The moment USA Swimming came under fire
Concerns about the direction of the sport grew louder during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where the U.S. team faced serious problems even before the competition began. The worst blow was a health outbreak in the squad in a pre-championship training camp in Thailand. A number of American swimmers were hit by acute gastroenteritis, which upset the preparations and travel schedules of the team before the meet.
The illness had a clear impact on the team. Some swimmers arrived late in Singapore, others were forced to withdraw from their events, and several athletes had to compete while still recovering from the illness. Among those affected were Torri Huske, who missed the 100-meter butterfly, and Claire Weinstein, who withdrew from the 400-meter freestyle.
As the struggles unfolded, 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte sparked controversy with a pointed post on social media. Lochte shared an image of a tombstone symbolically representing U.S. swimming, carrying the message: “In loving memory of United States Swimming. They set the bar high until they stopped reaching for it.”
He added a caption that hinted at a greater concern about the sport’s future: “Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We’ve got three years.” The image showed the dates 1980-2025, suggesting that the era of U.S. swimming dominance may be fading and that major changes are needed before the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
It is yet to be determined whether the criticism was an overreaction or a much-needed wake-up call. However, it is certain that with critiques such as those by Michael Phelps and Lochte aired regarding the future of swimming in America, the sport cannot afford to ignore them.
The post “Shut the Door on My Face”: Michael Phelps Gets Honest on USA Swimming Connections appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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