During an interview on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps said he’s not currently considering a comeback attempt because it would require too much time way from his family.
But if he did want to return to swimming at 39 years old, Phelps thinks he could win a fifth Olympic title in the 200 IM — though he acknowledges it would take four years to do.
“I think it would take four years to do — I think I could win the 200 IM,” Phelps told McAfee. “I was going faster eight years ago than most of the world is going now.”
Phelps shut down the idea of a comeback for now, saying the conversation came up while watching the U.S. Olympic Trials with his 4-year-old son, Maverick.
According to Phelps, Maverick asked if he could still get in the water and compete with the top Americans right now. Phelps replied that Maverick wouldn’t be able to see him very often due to training in this hypothetical scenario. “I don’t want that,” Maverick said. “I don’t want that either,” Phelps concurred. “So that was the end of the the conversation for us,” he recalled to McAfee.
Phelps captured his fourth consecutive 200 IM crown at the Rio Olympics in 2016 with a winning time of 1:54.66, narrowly missing his Olympic record of 1:54.23 from the Beijing 2008 edition. His most recent Olympic victory eight years ago is still two seconds faster than the winning time at the 2024 World Championships (1:56.64), quicker than Leon Marchand went to win the 2023 world title (1:54.82), and faster than Wang Shun went to win the last Olympic title in Tokyo (1:55.00).
When asked if he still swims anymore, Phelps answered, “Only if my head really is in a dark place.”
“It’s the only place where I can just be,” he said of the water. “I don’t have to think or do anything.”
He’ll get cooked! In both IM’s
Imagine if both Phelps and Lochte announced they were training for 2028, oh, man…
What a dick…
Would still smoke MA
Glad that Michael’s chat with his four-year-old affirmed his current priorities. I doubt today’s Michael Phelps would devote all that training time away from his family (and leisure!) for a long shot at any 29th Olympic medal in the 200 IM. Only a five-peat gold in that event would truly satisfy the GOAT.
It’s not worth it.
I think we’re at the stage in the Phelps narrative where he makes somewhat outlandish claims like this to maintain peak relevance through the current Olympic cycle but unless he actually starts to train these kind of comments are just a PR grab.
Agreed – No chance on that ‘what if’ scenario. And that man-bun…………..
I think Phelps could have done it in 2021 or even 2024 if he stayed injury free but definetly not 2028.
Edit to say that if he’s talking and joking about it he almost certainly has no intention of trying it. He always kept his goals private when he was actively competing.
I applaud the optimism, but I don’t even think his Rio winning time of 1:54.66 will win the Olympics by 2028
1:54.66 prob isn’t winning in Paris either