Speaker 1: Michael Phelps has dominated headlines over the past several days,
Speaker 1: stirring the international swimming community and making waves far beyond
Speaker 1: the pool. The most significant development came during the twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five World Aquatics Championships, when Phelps launched a scathing
Speaker 1: critique of USA swimming leadership on Instagram, lamenting the organization's
Speaker 1: declining performance, poor operational controls, and in effective athlete support.
Speaker 1: He pointed to the dismal metal hall at the twenty
Speaker 1: twenty four Paris Olympics, team USA's worst since nineteen eighty eight,
Speaker 1: and even suggested he'd hesitate to let his own sons
Speaker 1: join the sport under the current regime. According to AOL Sports,
Speaker 1: Phelps didn't just air complaints. He called for an independent review,
Speaker 1: a new athlete first approach, and a renewed focus on
Speaker 1: grass roots development. He offered to be part of the solution,
Speaker 1: literally writing by doors open and there is work to
Speaker 1: be done. The post came just after a notorious viral
Speaker 1: share from Ryan Lochtey which depicted a funeral for USA swimming.
Speaker 1: Heelps questioned if the twenty twenty five World Championships would
Speaker 1: be the wake up call US swimming needed. Following the championships,
Speaker 1: he issued a subtle apology, but also doubled down playfully
Speaker 1: on Instagram. When confronted by US Olympian Lily King, who
Speaker 1: tied him after the women's team broke the world record
Speaker 1: in the mixed four x one hundred meters relay, Phelps
Speaker 1: replied that he should have stayed in his lane and
Speaker 1: acknowledged his hope for higher leadership standards, an answer widely
Speaker 1: interpreted is sarcastic and signaling he may be steady back
Speaker 1: as a vocal critic. USA Swimming is attempting to repair
Speaker 1: the rift. Swimming World magazine reported their new CEO, Kevin Ring,
Speaker 1: made public his intention to contact Phelps, immediately recognizing the
Speaker 1: Olympic legend's value not just for his medals, but also
Speaker 1: his insight into improving the sports culture and governance. On
Speaker 1: the business front, Phelps has been in the spotlight as
Speaker 1: a major early investor in Unrival, the new three on
Speaker 1: three women's basketball league, which just announced a three hundred
Speaker 1: forty million dollars valuation after a round led by Bessemer
Speaker 1: Venture Partners and Serena Williams Venture Company. ESPN notes that
Speaker 1: unrivaled nearly broke even in its first season, signaling a
Speaker 1: paradigm shift in athlete driven sports leagues. This business acumen
Speaker 1: has only added to Phelps's profile as the richest swimmer
Speaker 1: in the world, with a net worth reported at one
Speaker 1: hundred million dollars by the Times of India. Thanks to endorsements,
Speaker 1: speaking engagements, and his swimwear brand, social media remains a
Speaker 1: Phelps playground. According to sports Keida and Yahoo Sports. He's
Speaker 1: been rallying behind the Baltimore Ravens during their season opener
Speaker 1: and answered a viral call from Ravens players asking for
Speaker 1: swimming lessons, reinforcing his identity as both a local hero
Speaker 1: and tireless advocate for water safety. His foundation continues its
Speaker 1: work teaching swim skills, and fans relished his enthusiastic Instagram
Speaker 1: interaction supporting the team and its athletes. All told, Phelps
Speaker 1: remains one of the most influential voices in sports. Controversial, bold,
Speaker 1: and relentlessly active, both in front of the camera and
Speaker 1: in boardrooms, with every move dissected from Instagram stories to
Speaker 1: front page news. And that is it for to day.
Speaker 1: Make sure you hit the subscribe button and never miss
Speaker 1: an update on Michael Phelps, Thanks for listening. This has
Speaker 1: been a quiet please production