“My opinions were way off” - Michael Phelps clarifies stance after Lilly King calls out him and Ryan Lochte’s criticism of USA Swimming 

After Lilly King took a jab at Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte over their criticism of Team USA’s performance at the World Aquatics Championships, Phelps clarified that his comments were aimed not at the swimmers but at the leadership of USA Swimming.

On August 2, following Katie Ledecky’s seventh consecutive title in the 800m freestyle and the U.S. mixed freestyle relay team’s gold medal and world record (3:18.48), with Jack Alexy, Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass, and Torri Huske breaking Australia’s 2023 record (3:18.83) in Singapore, King posted a story on Instagram, writing:

“@mphelps00 @ryanlochte Y’all been real quiet tonight”

The Instagram page SwimCellys reposted King’s story and tagged Phelps and Lochte. Michael Phelps responded in comments, writing:

“We should be so proud of how the team swam as a whole …. Right?" "Apologies for having higher expectations for the leadership of the team. My opinions were way off. USAS has what they finally want, me to ‘stay in my lane.’ They will continue to help the kids reach childhood dreams by their continued support 😳”

Screenshot of post and comment (IG/@swimcellys)

Following Michael Phelps and Lochte’s remarks, Olympic gold medalist and NBA commentator Rowdy Gaines also echoed the same concerns, calling out the lack of leadership at the top.

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Full recap: What triggered the comments from Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte

Swimming - Olympics: Day 5 - Source: Getty

The discussion began when Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist and 27-time world medalist, posted a meme of a gravestone on Instagram that read:

"IN LOVING MEMORY OF UNITED STATES SWIMMING 1980 – 2025 Aged 45 “They set the bar high - until they stopped reaching for it.”

He added a caption:

“Call it a funeral, or call it a fresh start. We’ve got 3 years.”

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever with 28 Olympic medals and 33 World Championship medals, shared Lochte’s post and added:

“Is this the wake-up call USA Swimming needed? Let’s find out…..”

Despite the criticism, Team USA topped the medal table with 29 total medals, including 9 golds. However, their campaign was marred by acute gastroenteritis, which impacted nearly the entire team during training. While the U.S. women dominated, the men’s team struggled, failing to make the semifinals of the 100m backstroke for the first time since 1908 and missing a medal in the 800m freestyle relay for the first time since 1998.

The exchange between King, Michael Phelps, and Lochte has sparked debate about the team's leadership as USA Swimming looks ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Edited by Mitali