Phelps slams USA Swimming's social media post: The issue isn’t with the athletes.

On August 14, swimming legend Phelps took to social media with a lengthy post blasting the USA Swimming Association, stating: "The problem isn’t with the athletes—it’s with the leadership at USA Swimming. Poor leadership tends to seep through every level of the organization, ultimately affecting its structure and performance at every stage."

The full text is as follows:

Although I’ve encountered some resistance, most of the feedback I’ve received—based on the post I shared last week—echoes my feelings about the challenges facing USA Swimming today. While some of you may disagree with my perspective, I’m glad this discussion is sparking a broader conversation.

First of all, I must clearly express that I have the utmost respect for the American swimmers competing in the World Championships. My criticism is by no means directed at them—I fully understand how hard they’ve worked and how much honor it is to represent the U.S. national team. Instead, my critique is aimed at the system, its leadership, and the way it’s steadily heading toward failure.

There have always been issues within the system, but over the past nine years, I’ve seen these problems grow increasingly larger. In 2016, I had the privilege of being part of the U.S. Olympic swimming team in Rio—perhaps the most successful team in the history of the sport, as we claimed 57% of the medals we were even eligible to win.

Eight years later, in Paris, the U.S. team won only 44% of the medals they had a chance to claim in the swimming events—their lowest percentage in this event since the 1988 Olympics.

I once asked myself, "What’s changed in our sport?" And the answer is clear… the issue isn’t with the athletes—they’ve consistently given their all, making the most of the resources available to them. The real problem lies with the leadership at USA Swimming. Poor leadership tends to seep through every level of the organization, ultimately affecting its performance at every stage.

For most of my life, I’ve been immersed in a system that was supposed to support athletes. I’ve given it my all, yet I often felt my voice went unheard. I was told to be grateful for the chance to compete—and that staying silent and maintaining harmony were far more important.

Earlier this year, I sent a letter to USA Swimming expressing my concerns. The letter was also copied to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). In the letter, I outlined my numerous grievances about the current state of the sport, and it has since garnered support and endorsements from former Olympic medalists, world-record holders, coaching professionals, as well as current and former staff members of USA Swimming.

But that letter seems to have fallen on deaf ears. It appears no one is truly willing to talk about how badly the USA Swimming Association has deteriorated. Yet, if we don’t address it, it’ll never be fixed.

Funding is one factor. But poor operational control and weak leadership are at the heart of the sport’s challenges. I’ve seen too many teammates struggling to pursue their beloved sport—often without the support they need. And I’ve also witnessed firsthand the difficulties the sport is facing as it grapples with the task of bringing membership numbers back to pre-pandemic levels. I can no longer pretend that this system is functioning effectively just because it continues to produce medals.

For me, swimming has always been about more than just medals—it should be an environment that nurtures champions both in and out of the pool. As the father of four young boys, it breaks my heart to say that I’m not sure if I’d want my sons to pursue this sport at a competitive level. Yes, swimming has transformed my life, but it’s also brought me countless moments of heartache. And right now, its state leaves me feeling both deeply saddened—and furious.

I hope to see this sport thrive, and I want to be part of the solution. I’ve always said I want to transform swimming in America—and that vision remains unchanged. I still care deeply, and I’m not ready to give up yet.

I don’t have all the answers, but I know this: we need accountability. We need transparency. We need to put athletes’ voices at the center, not on the margins. And most importantly, we need systemic change.

I’d like to encourage everyone involved in our sport—and anyone who cares about its future—to share your thoughts as well. How do you see the current state of swimming in our country today? Is the sport continuing to grow and evolve? If not, what can we do to help propel it forward into the future? I’m eager to hear open and honest feedback from others on this topic.

As an initial step forward, I would like to propose the following to the Board of Directors and all staff members of USA Swimming:

1. Commission an independent 360-degree review of the USA Swimming Board of Directors and the organization as a whole, ensuring full transparency throughout the process.

2. Streamline athlete services and adopt a proactive, "athlete-centered" approach to support those participating in the sport. While USA Swimming and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) already provide certain athlete resources, there’s a need to develop a more effective way to collaborate directly with athletes in order to fully leverage these offerings.

3. Focus on strengthening the grassroots development of this sport, reversing the post-pandemic decline in membership numbers, while also exploring new approaches to drive additional growth.

I voluntarily offer my assistance with these proposed initial steps, and I sincerely hope the USA Swimming family will embrace my suggestion.

My door is wide open—there’s plenty of work for us to do.

Sincerely,

Michael Phelps

Source: DongqiuDi