The United States Anti-Doping organization, the group responsible for drug-testing American athletes, has released their statistics for the 3rd quarter of 2013 (July 1st-September 30th), and Michael Phelps is back in the testing pool.
This is the first concrete sign that Phelps’ time back in the water is something more than just ‘for fitness,’ as reentering the testing pool is the first step to coming out of retirement for a swimmer. Per FINA rules, a swimmer must be in the testing pool for 9 months before they are allowed to return to FINA competition officially.
Phelps was tested twice in the 3rd quarter of 2013. While this is no guarantee that he’s going to return to competition, it means that he’s made the 2014 U.S. National Championships a possibility. That meet is the qualifier for the 2014 Pan Pac Championships and the 2015 World Championships.
This announcement comes on the same day as Phelps was spotted both on deck and in the warmup pool at the Minneapolis Grand Prix. He has been posing for pictures with younger swimmers all day, and the pictures have been all over the social media networks.
Brazil still has plenty of time and will be able to pull it off. The biggest concern for Brazil is cleaning up their cities and lowering the violence to make it safe for tourists.
Let’s not get too negative, Brazil isn’t any worst than Mexico. . When Mexico did it in 1968, no one wanted a third world country to do it. In fact South Korea had many critical of it hosting the games in 1988 since it was more authoritarian government in those days.Anyway, Brazil in some ways is doing better than Portugal, not saying they don’t have poverty issues or gang violence.
I think his 100 free lead off at Beijing would have been good enough for bronze in individual as well
Just keeping open the possibility does several things:
1) Keeps swimming in the media – Phelps has given the sport more broad media exposure than anyone else – his presence assures continued media focus;
2) keeping his name in the media helps his endorsement income – sponsors love it and probably adds a few more endorsements for him;
3) He probably will go the Master’s route until he regains FINA eligibility – that publicity would help masters swimming, and he can pick and choose meets with little pressure, but the possibility of posting some times – would love to see him compete next April at the Colonies zone meet at GMU next April – fast pool where… Read more »
If he’s doing workouts written for Dwyer/Agnel, a 400 free wouldn’t be crazy for him to swim at 2014 Nationals. I would like to see that.
I asked today Frank Busch, USA swim team director, if Michael Phelps is coming back. He said we should see him back in competition in 2-3 months.
You try so hard to be relevant. On XBL we call that being a “tryhard” lol
David,
Phelps did compete in 100 free. He swam 100 free in 2005 World Championships in Montreal. He finished 7th (seventh).
I am surprised Phelps fans did not know this.
I wanted to say: I told you so… but it is pointless
I even made the prediction that Phelps would make a comeback even BEFORE he announced his retirement.
I just can’t believe that many people actually believed him 100% when he said he won’t return.
Aswimfan: Yes, it’s true. You were the only one in the world who believed the greatest Olympian of all time might not really retire at age 27. How were you able to do it? And yes, it was all just a marketing scheme by Phelps. In fact, he was secretly training in an underground bunker in an undisclosed location in Baltimore, laughing to himself all the while. I for one hope you get the Nobel prize for this; you deserve it!
While you will ever get is Nobel prize for cynicism and snide remark.
Are you missing youtube’s old system where they allowed anonymous troll to make negative comments all the time?
If you are really mad that I made that prediction (or that you also made the predicition) in early 2012 in swimmingworld/swiminfo, speednendurance and swimswam, why did you never even say anything at that time?
Liliana is correct; Phelps is the better IMer. Lochte’s only significant victory was in the 4 IM in London, a meet where Phelps had inadequate preparation for that distance. Phelps is a better butterflier, freestyler and breaststroker. They are about even in backstroke, maybe RL a bit better at the 200 distance. Also- SCY times are irrelevant. Lochte is very good, and I like him, but Phelps is the best IMer of all time.
Is the 200 IM from the 2011 Worlds not significant? They both went best times and Lochte came out with a win and a WR. Lochte also holds the textile best times in both long course IMs, plus every short course IM record. Based on pure speed I’d give it to Lochte.
I totally agree. Lochte is the best in IM and definitely a better BREASTSTROKER – this leg had him beat Phelps in 2012 Olympic Trials