A decision by USA Swimming on December 23 has stirred debate across the swimming world. Starting in 2028, during the Olympic year, only American athletes will be allowed to train at the USOPTC in Colorado Springs. But just weeks after that ruling became public, an Irish Olympic champion posted a video that appeared to take a lighthearted dig at American swimmers.

Daniel Wiffen shared a YouTube vlog from the very same Colorado Springs pool, titled “We dominated Team USA.” There, the Irish swimmer showed himself and his training group through altitude sessions. The video consisted of long swims, speed sets, lifting, and recovery exercises.

At the start of the “dominating Team USA,” vlog, the athlete even said, “As you can see, we are on American territory…”

Although that was rather cheeky, the remark provides an additional interest, since the facility is going to limit foreign swimmers in the near future.

The policy comes amid concerns that the United States no longer holds an uncontested edge in swimming. Many of the world’s top swimmers train in the U.S., often under American coaches or within college programs, even while representing other countries. For instance, Leon Marchand (France) won four gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But Marchand moved to the U.S. to swim in the NCAA system at Arizona State University before turning professional.

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After his coach Bob Bowman moved to the University of Texas Longhorns pro group, Marchand followed and continues to train there under Bowman’s guidance. Similarly, Summer McIntosh (Canada) has trained in the U.S. and delivered standout performances on the global stage.

In fact, as per an update in August 2025, Daniel Wiffen himself is shifting bases. The Olympic gold medalist officially announced via social media that he will be leaving Loughborough University, where he has spent the last five years training, and he will be joining the pro group at Cal at the end of September, where he will be training with Dave Durden and the pro group that includes Lucas Henveaux and an NCAA team that includes his brother Nathan Wiffen.

Once there, he plans to stay in Berkeley until the European Short Course Championships at the end of December.

The 24-year-old won two medals at the Paris Olympics last summer, taking gold in the men’s 800 freestyle in a new European record time of 7:38.19. He also won the bronze in the men’s 1500 freestyle in 14:39.63, a little over five seconds off the 14:34.07 he swam at the 2024 World Championships to win gold and set the Irish national record.

And clearly, seeing all this is bothering Kevin Ring, CEO of USA Swimming.

As explained by Kevin Ring, the restriction is expected to provide American swimmers with full access to the USOPTC during the most critical period leading up to the Olympics in Los Angeles. The restriction of foreign athletes allows U.S. swimmers to train with maximum benefit, as they do not have to share training areas with foreigners and can be well prepared for high-performance training.

However, this action has been criticized by United States swimming legends.

Michael Phelps criticizes USA Swimming over the international athlete ban

Michael Phelps has spoken out against USA Swimming in response to the organization’s decision to bar international athletes from using its facilities.

“What are our goals?” the Olympic legend wrote on his Instagram Story on December 24. “I thrived training with all athletes. Never discriminated.”

Phelps’ criticism comes amid a series of concerns he has raised about the organization in recent months.

He confessed at the World Championships in August that he would be reluctant to encourage his four sons to participate in swimming.

“As a dad to four young boys, it pains me to say that I’m not sure if I’d want my sons to be a part of this sport at a competitive level,” Phelps shared on Instagram. “Yes, swimming changed my life, but it also caused a lot of heartache, and its current state makes me both sad and angry.

“If we don’t talk about it, it won’t get fixed. I want to see the sport flourish, and I want to be part of the solution. I’ve always said I wanted to change the sport of swimming in the U.S., and that sentiment still holds true. I still care, and I’m not ready to give up.”

The discussion on access, equity, and competitive edge is not finished yet, and both American and international swimmers will be under scrutiny as the 2028 Olympics near.