Just yesterday, World Aquatics announced the addition of the stroke 50s to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic games. The most decorated Olympian of all-time Michael Phelps shared his opinion as a comment on SwimSwam’s Instagram post saying, “Makes me feel like this is summer league🤷🏻♂️”
Phelps retired after the 2016 Rio Olympics and ended his career with 28 total Olympic medals, including 23 gold. In addition to his Olympic success, Phelps also was successful at the World Championship level.
The stroke 50s were notably added for the 2001 World Championships, which was Phelps’ first World Championship competition. Phelps did not compete in any 50s of stroke at 2001 Worlds or any other World Championship, though he would have been eligible because of his individual spot in the 100 fly (which is historically how USA Swimming has chosen the 50 meter stroke entries at Worlds).
Phelps is one of the first athletes to speak up that is against the addition of the stroke 50s to the Olympics. Italy’s Thomas Ceccon, who notably won the 50 fly LCM World Championship title in 2023, posted thumbs down on his Instagram story yesterday with the announcement.
Athletes that have commented in favor of the addition include Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, Michael Andrew of the US, and Adam Peaty of Great Britain.
The dilution of medals continues!
We will keep amazing young athletes in swimming who otherwise would leave the sport. I could be wrong, but this will also bring more money to the sport by sponsors.
some may say this is a cynical take but honestly its probably good for the sport for phelps to say this and create some extra controversy storylines for the next quad heading into LA
Predictable comment from someone who, despite being one of the most versatile and complete swimmers ever:
Stroke 50s have their own science and specific training just like the 50 free and every other event.
I never quite understood the pretentious lobbying of a part of the community that always shunned this addition and relegated them as lesser events. This will also make them more competitive at Worlds
Of course this will require a review of the schedule. Is adding one more day the end of the world? If athletics has 11 days, why can’t swimming have 10?
Which swimming fan wouldn’t want to… Read more »
I mean it’s understandable… he broke Spitz’ record of 7 golds (36 years later) without the need for a rule change which let him compete in more events.
Now the addition of the 800 free, mixed relay and 50s of stroke (20 years after Beijing) will make it SIGNIFICANTLY easier (although still extremely unlikely) for his record to be broken in a shorter amount of time.
OF COURSE Michael Phelps is going to be against this, and he has every right to be.
Put the 50s into a pentathlon: Fly, Back, Br, Free and Underwater Five individual races. Fastest Total time scored.
Two events as M & W of course.
That’s actually a pretty good idea…👏
Fans would get to know the swimmers throughout the duration of the events / races.
I’d go with the usual 4. My children did them a couple of times, and really enjoyed them.
I completely agree with Phelps. It’s getting to a point where there are too many events in swimming. Addition of the 50s makes great achievements like Phelps’ 8 golds in Beijing seem less impressive (despite being legendary), and other Olympic sports do not have the same opportunity to win so many. I’ve heard many people say stuff along the lines of “of course Phelps won 8 medals… it’s swimming; there are 20 different chances to win”.
This video represents it very well:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RulGVbmdeIA
You have no idea how difficult it is to win ONE Olympic medal… what Phelps did is incredible and people saying that was easy because there are a lot of medals on offer don’t now ANYTHING about competitive swimming
Yes but winning multiple golds on many more events than other olympic sports makes Phelps a greater athlete than Bolt in track and field for instance (8 golds in 3 events with relay max in each olympic games vs 23 golds in 7or 8 events possible in each olympic games)
Not sure!
Poor logic
There are at least 12 male swimmers with 8+ Olympic medals, 4 of which have 8 golds. Phelps is the only one who could be considered arguably better than Bolt. Why? Medals are easier to get in swimming. And this is coming from a D1 swimmer.
Not to mention sprinting in track is a much more competitive sport, and Bolt is literally the fastest man in history.
Nobody said it was easy, but 8x golds in a single Olympics is IMPOSSIBLE for 34 out of the 43 sports, and is never going to happen for any sport other than swimming.
Swimming nearly has as many events as track and field, which should never be happening. Track and field is way more of a diverse sport than swimming in terms of events due to the difference in track and field, which is not comparable to the differences in stroke or distance in swimming. I’m just stating the facts; there is inflation in the swimming events, and the GOAT of our sport agrees.
Total ignorance is the only thing that video represents well. It’s a stupid (not to mention unoriginal) point to begin with (trying to minimize Phelps’ 8 for 8, etc.), but the way Trevor Noah articulates it here is particularly cringe and only reveals that he has absolutely no understanding of the sport.
Just judging from this video, the most similar thing about all the strokes is probably that Trevor Noah is equally unable to do any of them.
The only reason people are upset is because the stroke 50s are the hardest events in swimming
Executing a perfect race in less than 25 secs with zero margin of error, performed by athletes who look like superheroes, apparently isn’t as exciting as watching spaghetti strings lope around the pool for 15 minutes….
Stroke 50s are the best addition to the olympics ever. Nobody wants to see boring long events. They should cut 400 free 400 IM 800 free 1500. People love watching exciting races not boring ones. GO 50S!!!!
The 800 and 1500 on the men’s side have been some of the most exciting races to watch at recent world champs and Olympics.
McIntosh and Marchand aren’t exactly making the 400 IM much of a “race”, but I’m eager to see what they can do in that event.