The swimming world buzzed with tension on Friday night as Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte ignited a public debate over USA Swimming’s recent struggles. The timing couldn’t be more electric, coinciding with the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where Team USA faced a rocky start, hampered by multiple athletes sidelined with acute gastroenteritis. Well, this bold move from two of the sport’s giants promises to shake things up as the narrative unfolds. What did they do now??

Well, Phelps, boasting an unparalleled 23 Olympic gold medals, and Lochte, a six-time Olympic gold medalist, bring decades of experience to their critique. Lochte on 1st August, shared an Instagram story featuring a striking mock funeral for USA Swimming, complete with the epitaph: “In Loving Memory of United States Swimming, 1980-2025, Aged 45. They set the bar high—until they stopped reaching for it.” This comes as the US team lagged in overall performance, falling short of expectations in 2025 World Aquatics Championships.

Phelps amplified the post with a caption blending defiance and hope: “Call it a funeral, or call it a fresh start. We’ve got 3 years. LFG. Is this the wake up call USA swimming needed? Let’s find out…” This public call to action hints at a looming shift, especially with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, set for July 14-30, 2028, exactly three years away. The 1980-2025 timeline reflects a 45-year dominance now challenged by rising international competitors.

Lochte’s involvement carries added weight, given his controversial 2016 Rio concerns, yet his collaboration with Phelps underscores a united front. The duo’s shared history, from rigorous training to Olympic triumphs, lends authenticity to this moment of reckoning. As the national governing body, USA Swimming’s recent performance could spur significant changes in administration or training protocols before the next Games.

As the sport braces for potential upheaval, the question remains: how will this candid outburst reshape USA Swimming’s strategy moving forward?

USA’s Rough patch, a slump, or a bigger problem?

Team USA arrived at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore burdened by a wave of acute gastroenteritis, traced back to a training camp in Phuket, Thailand. Multiple elite swimmers, including Olympic champion Torri Huske, Claire Weinstein, and 16‑year‑old Luca Mijatovic, were either withdrawn from events or visibly ill during competition, with performance suffering dramatically in early heats

That medical setback came as Team USA was already under scrutiny following a disappointing haul of just eight gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, its lowest since 1988. With a relatively young roster in Singapore, optimism was high, but illness derailed hopes of early dominance, especially in relay events where Australia captured gold in both the women’s and men’s 4×100m freestyle races.

One bright spot has been Katie Ledecky, whose gold in the 1,500m freestyle extended her unbeaten streak in that event to 15 years. At age 28, she delivered a career-best performance with a time of 15:26.44, securing her 22nd world championship gold medal and reaffirming her place as the leading veteran on the roster. 

As swimming powerhouses like Australia, China, and Canada continue to rise, the question is whether this rough patch signals a temporary setback or the start of a larger structural challenge for the U.S. swim program. Phelps and Lochte seem to have already made up their minds.