A former Olympian and insider criticizes USA Swimming's leadership, highlighting issues like mismanagement, financial opacity, and a culture of complacency, while praising Phelps' efforts to push for systemic change and calling for reforms to prioritize athlete support and transparency.
Michael Phelps criticizes USA Swimming's leadership for organizational decline, poor athlete support, and unresolved safety issues, warning that these problems threaten the sport's performance and credibility ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, which could be a pivotal moment for American swimming.
Michael Phelps expressed strong criticism of USA Swimming's decline in performance and organizational issues, calling for reforms and greater athlete support to restore the sport's integrity and success.
At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Summer McIntosh won her third gold medal, setting a Canadian record in the women's 200m butterfly and narrowly missing the world record. Leon Marchand won the men's 200 IM, falling just short of his own world record. Other notable performances included Katharine Berkoff's gold in the women's 50m backstroke, the US setting a record in the women's 4x200 relay, and Romania's David Popovici winning the men's 100m freestyle. Several US swimmers withdrew from events due to illness, impacting the competition.
Indianapolis has transformed Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Colts, into an Olympic swimming venue by installing a massive pool for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. This unprecedented setup, involving 2 million gallons of water and extensive construction, aims to elevate the event's visibility and impact, drawing over 250,000 fans and potentially breaking world records. The trials, expected to generate over $100 million in economic impact, will select swimmers for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will host the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials from June 15-23, marking the first time the event will be held in a football stadium. Organizers, led by USA Swimming’s chief commercial officer Shana Ferguson, have transformed the venue to accommodate nearly 30,000 spectators, aiming to create an unparalleled experience for athletes and fans. The setup includes a 50-meter competition pool and two warmup pools, with extensive planning to ensure optimal viewing and athlete comfort.
USA Swimming has released a new version of the psych sheets on the eve of the 2023 US National Swimming Championships and International Team Trials, with minor changes including Cavan Gormsen dropping the 800 free from her schedule, where she was going to be the 9th seed. Gormsen is eligible for all four of the USA Swimming teams being selected this summer, so a 9th seed would have put her in strong position to make an international team.