USA Swimming experienced a major heartbreak at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, as the team fell ill and contracted gastroenteritis. But the ones who seemed the most upset, apart from the athletes who got sidelined, were Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Lochte shared a meme on social media, showcasing a tombstone of USA Swimming. The text read, “In Loving Memory of United States Swimming, 1980-2025, Aged 45. They set the bar high—until they stopped reaching for it.” And now, it was time for Phelps to come forward, again, with an explanation. After all, these issues might hamper Phelps’ next generation’s stance in the swimming world.

It seems like the repercussions of the current state of the U.S. Swimming Team have found their way to potentially hinder Phelps’ children. His second son, Beckett, got comfortable in water when he was just 11 months old, via an ad for Huggies Little Swimmers water-friendly diaper campaign. And back in 2023, a then 5YO Beckett and 3YO Maverick (Phelps’ third child) went viral on the internet for performing skills that even elite swimmers might have trouble doing. Yet, the Phelps children might not get to compete as professional swimmers. 

Taking to Instagram, he shared a cascade of posts that seemed like a letter to the public. Therein, the father of four sons claimed, “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. Yes, swimming changed my life, but it also caused a lot of heartache, and its current state makes me both sad and angry.” 

And it all stemmed from the fact that Team USA couldn’t perform well enough at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Let’s be clear about one thing. He wasn’t criticizing the team’s performance at the event. As an athlete, he knows pretty well how hard the swimmers train and how honored they feel while representing the 50 States. However, he couldn’t say the same for the leadership.

The swimming team at the Rio Olympics won 57% of the medals they had the opportunity to win. But the numbers went down to 44% at the Paris Olympics. According to Phelps, it was the lowest since 1988. He continued, “I’ve asked myself what’s changed in our sport and the answer is clear… this isn’t on the athletes as they continue to do the best they can with what they’ve been given. This is on the leadership of USA Swimming. Poor leadership trickles down and can impact an organization at every level.” 

Michael Phelps kept emphasizing the importance of good leadership. After all, its absence often leads to problems like we saw at the World Championships. He confessed to watching many teammates struggle with poor leadership as they crave the support that they need. Nevertheless, Phelps provided three steps for the USA Swimming Board of Directors and USA Swimming staff to follow.

The first step was to commission a 360-degree independent review of the Board of Directors with complete transparency. Next up, they have to streamline athlete services and develop proactive ways to support swimmers competing in the sport. And finally, they have to focus on strengthening the grassroots level of the sport.

And maybe, after that, Phelps will be convinced to put Boomer (oldest), Beckett, Maverick, and Nico (youngest) within the system to continue their father’s legacy. 

Meanwhile, as soon as the 28-time Olympic medalist shared the post on Instagram, fans and professionals swooped into the comments section and revealed their thoughts. And his fellow athletes and coaches were all in support. 

What did the professionals have to say about Michael Phelps’ message?

Rowdy Gaines was one of the first to react to Phelps’ post. The 2005 Hall of Famer recently claimed that USA Swimming was missing a CEO for an entire year. And now, he commended his fellow Hall of Famer for standing up for the sport. Gaines commented, “Well said! Thank you for speaking up for our sport!!”

Soon after, Gaines, the famed coach, Bob Bowman, dropped a single red heart emoji in the comments. 

Of course, Gains and Bowman weren’t the only ones standing in support of Phelps. Kyle Sockwell, the USA Swimming Network partner and Ben Franklin Award winner, wrote, “Well thought out, actionable, and reasonable. Well said, MP.”

The 7-time Olympic medalist, Cody Miller, commented, “Well said 👌🏼.”

Phelps’ words even resonated in Brazil. The former Brazilian competitive swimmer, Bruno Fratus claimed, “It’s a great day when the GOAT advocates for change and improvement!!”

Phelps’ sister, Hilary Phelps, also stood beside him. She was pretty proud of him for trying to continuously change the sport for the better.

The former Paralympic star, Matt Torres, wasn’t too far behind in the comments, as well. He became emotional as he wrote, “Thank you for being our voice! From a retired Paralympian who walked away due to organizational issues.”

Lastly, the Syrian-American entrepreneur and swimming enthusiast, Fares Ksebati, wrote, “The 🐐 has spoken! Thank YOU for sharing your insights and staying connected to the sport you’ve helped grow!”

But what are your thoughts on Michael Phelps’ recent message? Do you think the sport can change before his sons grow old enough to actively compete in swimming? Don’t hesitate to share your POV as well.