Michael Phelps doesn't hold back when asked about Team USA's Olympic swimmers

Michael Phelps gave a damning verdict on Team USA ’s swimmers' Paris 2024 performance after winning just one individual gold medal at the Olympics .

The most decorated Olympian of all-time didn’t shy away from his frustration at seeing the American team in the pool as he watched on from the stands in Paris. The 2024 Games were the U.S.’s worst performance by individual swimming gold medals since the 1956 Games in Melbourne, where they also only picked up one gold.

Phelps spoke about Team USA’s showings to USA Today earlier this week, he said: "For me, as a whole, I was pretty disappointed to see the U.S. swimming results. One of the things that I've always said the last few years is the rest of the world is catching up.

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“I think a lot of the things that we've done as a country for so long, the other people are catching up. They're doing the same thing. Hopefully, we're able to make that transition leading into 2028."

Despite the plethora of talent across the swimming team and multiple chances for individual gold medals in the pool, Bobby Finke was the only member of the squad to claim a solo gold. The 24-year-old set a new world record time of 14:30:67 to win by nearly four seconds in the 1500-meter freestyle.

"Finke last night, swimming that was unbelievable. I have chills right now talking about it. That was one of the best swims in the entire Olympics,” Phelps said as he reacted to Finke’s incredible triumph. “Being able to break that world record in the matter that he did it, just taking it out, challenging the other guys just to make a move, he was prepared. Hopefully the other athletes will be more prepared heading into '28."

However, one of the team’s stars Caeleb Dressel was expected to defend individual golds he picked up in the Tokyo Games three years ago. But he finished sixth in the 50m freestyle final before coming 13th in the 100m butterfly semi-final despite winning both events in Tokyo.

“I’d like to be performing better, but I’m not. I trained to go faster than the times I’m going,” Dressel said after he was reduced to tears. “I know that. So, yeah. It’s tough, a little heartbreaking. A little heartbreaking for sure.”

Despite the individual woes, Team USA still topped the medals table in the pool, picking up 28 medals, including eight golds. The women’s 4x100m medley relay quartet of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske also broke the world record on the way to claiming gold.