Michael Phelps said that he would retire at the end of the 2012 Olympics, but there was always speculation that once competition grew closer, he might have a change of heart. It appears that has happened. Phelps, according to the US Anti-Doping Agency website, was drug tested twice between July 1st and September 30th. That leaves the door open for Phelps to compete at US Nationals in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016
Phelps’ coach, Bob Bowman, said that Phelps has increased his training schedule from 2-3 times/week to 4-5 times/week and is looking to increase that load.
“If we can get him up to 10 times a week, that’s when I’d be comfortable with him swimming in a meet,” Bowman said. “When Michael swims in a meet, there’s a certain expectation. We are far from there right now, so that’s why I’d like to caution everyone to keep expectations a little lower until you see him in a meet. … Right now, he’s pretty far from being ready to swim in a meet, in my opinion.”
It’s great for swimming that Phelps seems to ready to get back in the pool competitively. It will be interesting to see if the US has any up-and-coming swimmers that will challenge him.
H/T: USA Today