Team USA’s showing at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships was a tough pill to swallow. An illness outbreak in their Thailand training camp threw off their rhythm, leading to their lowest gold medal tally in years—just 10 golds among 32 total medals. Understandably, frustration bubbled up, and Ryan Lochte captured that feeling by sharing a powerful image of a tombstone for “United States Swimming,” calling it either an end or a chance to rebuild in the next three years. And this caught Michael Phelps’ attention.

Michael Phelps echoed that call, urging the team and fans to face the need for real change. “Is this the wake-up call USA Swimming needed? Let’s find out…” he captioned, resharing the post. Their united front sparked conversation and reflection about the future direction of U.S. swimming. But then, the swimming legend apologized to the swimmers.

To be honest, there was more to the apology than just being sorry.

Not long after the USA’s big win (breaking the world record in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, touching the wall in a blistering 3:18.48), swimmer Lilly King took to Instagram, tagging Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte with a sharp, understated jab in the caption. “Y’all been real quiet tonight.” This story was captured and posted by a fan account.

Now, Phelps noted this and commented, what felt like a forced apology.

He wrote, “We should be so proud of how the team swam as a whole …. Right? Apologies for having higher expectations for the leadership of the team. My opinions were way off. USAS has what they finally want: me to “stay in my lane”. They will continue to help the kids reach childhood dreams by their continued support 6g.” That felt like a sarcastic masterstroke.

Phrases like “stay in my lane” and “they will continue to help the kids…” do bring a different tone. It’s like the GOAT is done with US Swimming after coming under heat because of speaking out for improvement.

Another guy replied to his comments, saying that his coach, Bob Bowman, should not be training the opposition and should work with the national athletes first. There, Phleps had one more stern response. “Tons of college coaches coach foreign athletes. Been that way for decades. It’s bobs fault the best ones wanna go to Texas and train under him?” Bowman has coached elite international swimmers such as Léon Marchand (France) and Hubert Kós (Hungary), who have competed and succeeded against Team USA.

And the latest example includes Summer McIntosh, who announced that she will be joining Bob Bowman and his pro group at the University of Texas following this summer’s World Championships. She was the one to beat Katie Ledecky for the 400m title at the 2025 Worlds. Though the American triumphed in the 800m, Phelps applauded her for this.

Evidently, he is not against the team as a whole. But what went wrong that he made that statement in the first place?

What led to Michael Phelps’ statement?

Team USA’s 2025 World Championships got off to a rough start—not just in the pool, but in their stomachs. A viral gastroenteritis outbreak swept through the team days before the meet, sidelining some swimmers and weakening others.

The impact showed immediately in the mixed 4×100 medley relay, where a reshuffled lineup, Keaton Jones (54.20), Campbell McKean (59.07), Torri Huske (58.47), and Simone Manuel (52.76)—clocked 3:44.50. They missed the final by just 0.28 seconds, finishing 10th, stunning for a team that once held the world record at 3:37.43.

Next came the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay, where hopes were high. But the squad, shaken by disrupted training and substitutions, couldn’t find rhythm. Despite strong efforts, they finished in 3:28.62, well behind Australia’s winning 3:08.97. For a program defined by dominance, it was a humbling start, and a clear sign that even the fastest teams can’t outrun a virus. But Michael Phelps‘ comments highlight a deeper issue.

USA Swimming has been without a full-time CEO since Tim Hinchey was ousted shortly after Paris. A brief attempt to fill the role failed in February, when Chrissi Rawak withdrew just days after being named, following a SafeSport complaint tied to her past coaching tenure. Five months on, the position remains vacant.

This poor leadership even played a role in the team’s health issues.

The pre-meet camp was held in Thailand, during the peak rainy season, despite longstanding warnings to avoid the region in July. Training was hampered by an outdoor pool and questionable food conditions, contributing to the widespread illness that hit the team before competition began.

And it’s Michael Phelps we are talking about! You cannot turn a deaf ear to his statements. Can you?