“Congrats Grandpa”: Michael Phelps' wife Nicole praises coach Bob Bowman on his swimmers' outstanding performance at World Championships

Michael Phelps' wife, Nicole Phelps, recently praised coach Bob Bowman following his swimmers' incredible performance at the World Aquatics Championships 2025. The swimming event commenced on July 27 and will conclude on August 3 in Singapore.

Day 5 of the championships witnessed an incredible 200m IM, in which three of Bowman's students, Leon Marchand, Hubert Kos, and Shaine Casas, delivered impressive performances. Marchand took first place, surpassing the event's world record in the semifinals and clocking the second-fastest time of 1:53.68 to stand atop the podium in the finals.

Bowman's other two swimmers, Casas and Kos, claimed the second and third positions after registering 1:54.30 and 1:55.34, respectively. This feat garnered the attention of Phelps' wife, Nicole Phelps, who shared a post about this accomplishment on her Instagram story and praised her husband's ex-coach, Bowman, for his excellent coaching.

"Congrats Grandpa!! I love watching this next generation of swimmers you're coaching😍"

Here is the snippet of the same:

Nicole Phelps' Instagram story

Bob Bowman began coaching Michael Phelps when he was just 11 years old, and their association continued for the legendary swimmer's entire career, which started in 1996 and ended in 2016.

Bob Bowman penned a heartfelt message for Michael Phelps on his birthday

Bob Bowman is currently the head coach of the men's swimming team at the University of Texas. He is also famous for coaching Michael Phelps, who, under his tutelage, bagged 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold medals. The legendary American swimmer made his name in the World Championships, as he won 33 medals in the championships and 32 in the World Cup.

Phelps retired in 2016, and although his career ended, his bond with his former coach hasn't changed. Bowman recently wished Phelps on his birthday with an emotional note on Instagram, where he opened up about the life-changing experience of coaching the Olympic phenom. He shared a bunch of photos with Phelps and his family and penned a caption that read:

"On May 7, 1997, we started a journey together that has defined my life professionally and personally. It’s so rare that one person can impact the world, their sport and countless individual lives. There’s not a thing in my life that you haven’t made better by sharing yours with me," wrote Bowman.

He added:

"I’m so grateful for our swimming time together, which transformed Olympic sport and what it means to be excellent. The time after has been a blessing that I could have never imagined and has changed my life in so many positive ways. Happy Birthday MP! Love you! ❤️🤍💙"

Michael Phelps once spoke about looking up to the coach as a father figure.

Edited by Samya Majumdar