Why is Michael Phelps ‘disappointed’ with Team USA men’s swimming team?

The most decorated Olympian of all time was less than flattering when speaking of his country’s current men’s swimming team. Indeed, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist suggested that he was not pleased with their efforts.

Michael Phelps was not a fan of Team USA’s efforts in the pool

When looking at the achievements of Team USA’s men’s swimming team in Paris, there is no way to avoid the fact that it was the worst performance where individual gold medals for the Americans are concerned since the 1956 Olympic team won just a single gold medal in Melbourne. To that end, it wasn’t entirely shocking when former Team USA icon and Olympic legend, Michael Phelps, gave a bleak take on the team’s results.

“For me, as a whole, I was pretty disappointed to see the U.S. swimming results,” Phelps said an interview earlier this week. “... One of the things that I’ve always said the last few years is the rest of the world is catching up. I think a lot of the things that we’ve done as a country for so long, the other people are catching up. They’re doing the same thing. Hopefully, we’re able to make that transition leading into 2028.”

If such an outcome is possible, it will almost certainly fall on the shoulders of Caeleb Dressel who fell way short of the five gold medals that he won in the 2020 Tokyo Games, failing to win an individual in both the 100-meter butterfly or the 50-meter freestyle. While it’s perhaps unfair to use Phelps as a comparison with his tally of 28 medals of which 23 are gold, the reality remains that the Americans were not up to par in Paris. That said, Phelps did find some words of praise for Bobby Finke who a gold medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle race by nearly four seconds, setting a new world record with a time of 14:30.67.

“Finke last night, swimming that was unbelievable. I have chills right now talking about it. That was one of the best swims in the entire Olympics. Being able to break that world record in the matter that he did it, just taking it out, challenging the other guys just to make a move, he was prepared. Hopefully, the other athletes will be more prepared heading into ‘28,” said Phelps. With that, Team USA must now look toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, though with home soil advantage, the pressure to succeed will be even higher.