22-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps retired after the 2012 summer games in London. Good news for all you Michael Phelps fans out there, he is coming out of retirement. He will be competing for the first time since then at a meet in Mesa on April 24-26. There is a possibility he might swim at the Olympics in Rio 2016.
The swimmer’s long time coach Bob Bowman said, "I think he's just going to test the waters a little bit and see how it goes. I wouldn't say it's a full-fledged comeback." His coach also said "He's gotten back into good shape since September. He can give a good effort and certainly not be embarrassed. He's in enough shape to swim competitively."
Although he is a fan favorite and the greatest athlete in the history of the Olympics, he has been involved in a couple of controversies like his issues with marijuana. He completed his six month waiting period by the U.S Anti-Doping Agency and is now eligible for competition.
Phelps turns 29 in June. He is the winningest and most decorated athlete in Olympic history. At the last three summer games, he captured 18 gold medals and 22 medals overall. He broke Mark Spitz’s record for a single Olympics by winning eight gold medals in Beijing 2008. When Bowman was asked if his reputation would be ruined if he came back and did not dominate he said, “His legacy is sealed.”
Coach Bowman also said, "I think he's just really enjoying it. He enjoys the training and being physically fit. He just kind of wants to see where he's at. It's more really for fun. It's been nice for me to see him swim just for the joy of it really.”
His reason for coming back is not the money. He has earned millions of dollars in endorsements during his career, but if he’s in the water his endorsement potential certainly goes up.
Bowman states, “He is really doing it because he wants to. There’s no outside pressure at all.”
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