After winning 23 Olympic gold medals, what more can one achieve? Well, Michael Phelps dominated swimming like no one else. Even ten years after retiring, Phelps remains involved in the sport, as someone who closely watches how current swimmers navigate challenges. Yet even he isn’t immune to frustration. And his frustration stems from the fact that he hasn’t been happy with how lax things have been all these years.

In a recent YouTube interview with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, Phelps revealed his rough experience with USA Swimming.

Phelps disclosed, “Even when I was still in the sport, I don’t think USA Swimming did everything that they could have done to help us be our best.”

Whenever Phelps tried to get things going, he claims he was shut down, “I’ve tried to make some kind of positive change. To be honest, I have felt like they just shut the door on my face and told me to get lost.”

“It’s really hard because all I want to do is make change for the athletes because that’s the most important thing. And they don’t treat the athletes as they should.”

This revelation came in after the interview host told Phelps, “From my standpoint, if I were involved with USA Swimming, I would be on a plane the next day trying to figure out how I get Michael Phelps involved and make you a big part of this.”

The host Ahmed was referring to the fact that someone of Michael Phelps’ caliber and experience on USA Swimming’s board could make a tremendous difference based on his unique experience of swimming for over 16 years.

However, Phelps didn’t hold back. He also gave examples of where he saw USA Swimming failing.

“There needs to be more transparency with absolutely everything. There needs to be more accountability. And again, the athletes need to be put first,” Phelps stated.

Whilst demanding a change in the system, Phelps went on to reveal that he never felt that he was put first. And this isn’t the first time.

Phelps, even in the past, has referenced the performance of Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where only approximately 44% of the medals projected were earned, the lowest percentage since 1988. His emphasis was that the underperformance was not the fault of the athletes but it was an indication of structural flaws in leadership. He had attempted to assist previously in the year by writing a lengthy letter containing suggestions on reform, which, he said, “seemed to fall on deaf ears.”

And now again, he pointed at the lack of strong leadership. What he said was especially worrying that with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approaching, “It took us 372 days to find a new CEO. How is that possible? Name one company or one organization that would wait that long to hire a CEO.”

Here, he was referring to Kevin Ring, who was selected as the new President and CEO of USA Swimming in 2025. Ring officially started on September 17. It took more than a year to fill the role, and that delay is exactly what has been bothering Phelps.

But the CEO has spoken about making things better, In 2025 he revealed working on the ties between USA swimming and some of its older Olympians, “I’m going to call Michael very quickly here. I’m going to reach out to him. I want to hear more about them (his experiences).”

With his honest confession, things look better. But Phelps’ words do add a push to the criticism USA Swimming is already facing for a different reason.

Michael Phelps isn’t the only one to fire at USA Swimming

Concerns about USA Swimming grew louder during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where the U.S. team faced serious problems even before the competition began.

The worst blow was a health outbreak in the squad in a pre-championship training camp in Thailand. A number of American swimmers were hit by acute gastroenteritis, which upset the preparations and travel schedules of the team before the meet. The illness had a clear impact on the team.

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Some swimmers arrived late in Singapore, others were forced to withdraw from their events, and several athletes had to compete while still recovering from the illness. Among those affected were Torri Huske, who missed the 100-meter butterfly, and Claire Weinstein, who withdrew from the 400-meter freestyle.

As the struggles unfolded, 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte sparked controversy with a pointed post on social media. Lochte shared an image of a tombstone symbolically representing U.S. swimming, carrying the message: “In loving memory of United States Swimming. They set the bar high until they stopped reaching for it.”

He added a caption that hinted at a greater concern about the sport’s future: “Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We’ve got three years,” he referred to the time remaining for the LA olympics.

Michael Phelps then shared the image on Instagram and added, “Is this the (wake-up) call USA Swimming needed? Let’s find out.”

It is certain that with critiques such as those by Michael Phelps and Lochte aired regarding the future of swimming in America, the sport cannot afford to ignore them.