Phelps and Lochte Slam US Swimming’s Worlds Performance

Olympic swimming icons Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have taken a swipe at Team USA’s underwhelming performance at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, using pointed social media posts resembling a funeral tribute to American swimming.

A Symbolic “Funeral” Post

Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medallist (including 6 golds), posted a stark image on Instagram showing a funeral scene with a gravestone that read:

“In loving memory of United States Swimming – 1980–2025”
“They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it.”

Lochte captioned his post:

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

Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals (23 gold), re-shared Lochte’s post on his own social media, adding:

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

Context: Underwhelming Performance Amid Health Crisis

Team USA arrived at the Singapore Championships intending to use the event as a springboard towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. However, their campaign was disrupted from the start after an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis at a pre-championship training camp affected the “overwhelming majority” of athletes, according to team officials.

Despite the setback, by Day 7 of 9, Team USA had:

Although tied with Australia for most golds, the USA’s performance has drawn criticism for lacking the dominance they traditionally exhibit on the global stage.

Athletes Respond

After clinching gold in the 200m breaststroke on Friday, Kate Douglass acknowledged the tough conditions:

“It’s been a rough week for us. We’ve done a great job of coming back and showing that we are here to race.”

The commentary by swimming legends has sparked a wider conversation on the future trajectory of US swimming, especially with the home Olympics in Los Angeles 2028 fast approaching. Whether this serves as a moment of reflection or resurgence remains to be seen.