USA Swimming Responds To Phelps, Gaines: After USA Swimming faced public criticism during and after the World Championships due to a relatively lackluster performance, interim CEO Bob Vincent issued a statement in response last week. Also: All of the highlights from the U.S. Summer Championships, including the changes to next year's Pan Pac roster and the return of Caleleb Dressel, and newly crowned world champion Ahmed Jaouadi commits to Florida. USA Swimming Issues Statement Responding To World Championship Criticism The United States finished atop the swimming medal table despite dealing with a stomach illness at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, but the American team still faced plenty of criticism for falling short of expectations. Two all-time greats, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, criticized the team's performance publicly on social media, while longtime NBC swimming commentator and three-time Olympic champion Rowdy Gaines was also outspoken about a sense of "entitlement" from some team members and how USA Swimming as a whole was "rudderless" as it continues on without a permanent CEO. During the U.S. Summer Championships last week in Irvine, USA Swimming interim CEO Bob Vincent issued a statement in response to the discourse: We respect and value the opinions of Rowdy, Michael, Ryan, and all USA Swimming alums. We acknowledge that their comments come from a place of passion and genuine desire to see USA Swimming succeed. We are saddened and disappointed at the timing of the comments. The USA Swimming team battled severe illness in Singapore, and these comments added public scrutiny to an already challenging situation for our athletes and coaches. We are incredibly proud of the resilience of our team in the face of such difficult circumstances and remain confident in the leadership, strategic direction, and culture established by newly appointed National Team Managing Director Greg Meehan. USA Swimming has reached out directly to Rowdy and other notable alums in recent months, offering them a forum, including an invitation to join in a more official manner. The door remains open, as the only path forward for our sport is to work collectively to achieve a shared vision of success. We remain focused on the task at hand: winning LA28.
Phelps quickly responded, saying it was “maybe a false statement" because he knows they didn't reach out to Gaines (SwimSwam can confirm the statement is real). “They’ve shoved us out the door for years," Phelps said. "Treated me like a piece of meat thro(ugh) my career. Hopefully it changes someday….” You can read more on the public criticism USA Swimming has received here. It has been 348 days since Tim Hinchey resigned as USA Swimming CEO, and 165 days since his would-be replacement, Chrissi Rawak, did the same after it leaked that she was the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Van Mathias, Aaron Shackell Move Into Pan Pac Spots At Summer Championships The fourth of five U.S. selection meets for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships took place last week in Irvine, as the U.S. Summer Championships featured the majority of the country's top swimmers who were not in attendance at Worlds or Junior Nationals the week prior (and a handful who raced back-to-back). Two swimmers put themselves in position to be named to the Pan Pac team at the Summer Championships: Van Mathias and Aaron Shackell. Mathias, who didn't even compete at the U.S. National Championships in early June, fired off a pair of lifetime bests in the men's 50 breaststroke, clocking 26.87 in the prelims and then dropping down to 26.76 in the final to become the fastest American this year and tied for the third-fastest ever. Shackell, a 2024 Olympian who missed the 'A' final of the 400 free at U.S. Nationals two months ago, put up a time of 3:45.03 to win the event in Irvine, overtaking Luka Mijatovic (3:45.71) for the second spot on the Pan Pac team in the event. As the fastest American in the 50 breast, Mathias has all but secured a spot on the Pan Pac team under Priority 1, while Shackell will be a Priority 2 selection, and thus his spot on the team is not yet guaranteed. Nothing will be final until the conclusion of the 2025 World Junior Swimming Championships, which run next week in Otopeni, Romania, and serve as the final selection meet for the Pan Pac team. You can check out the Pan Pac roster as things stand right now here. Dressel "Desperately Wants To Just Get Back" After Signs of Progress In Irvine After only racing in a handful of meets this year and sitting out of the U.S. National Championships, nine-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel was back in the water at the Summer Championships, posting a pair of season-best times. The 28-year-old placed 3rd in the men's 50 freestyle in a time of 21.94, lowering his season-best entering the meet of 22.21 and moving into 7th in the country this year. Australian Jamie Jack clocked a lifetime best of 21.63 in the prelims and then matched that in the final to win the event, while American Hunter Armstrong was the runner-up in a PB of 21.76 to rank 4th in the country this year and fall eight one-hundredths shy of being in the hunt for a Pan Pac berth. Dressel then clocked back-to-back times of 23.28 in the 50 fly prelims and final, placing 2nd to Aussie Ben Armbruster (23.00) and ranking him 3rd in the U.S. this year, falling seven one-hundredths shy of Michael Andrew (23.21) for the second spot on the Pan Pac team. After the meet, Dressel was not deterred that he wasn't in position to make the Pan Pac team, and sounded positive as he described his slow return to training this year and how he continues to navigate his new life as a father of two. Listen to him speak post-meet below: https://swimswam.com/caeleb-dressel-in-irvine-i-desperately-want-to-just-get-back/ Armstrong, after his strong showing in the 50 free, was disqualified from all of his Day 3 events after no-showing the first one on the schedule, the 100 free—he could've returned to action if he paid a fine, but ended up missing the 50 fly and 100 back. He later said he was unaware of the rule and didn't realize how tightly bunched his three entries on the day would be due to the meet being relatively small in attendance. He raced the 50 back on the final day of the meet, placing 5th in a time of 25.15. Ahmed Jaouadi Commits To Florida Coming Off Dominant Worlds Performance Less than one week after winning double gold at the 2025 World Championships, Tunisian distance star Ahmed Jaouadi announced his commitment to the University of Florida for the 2025-26 season. Jaouadi, 20, won the men's 800 freestyle (7:36.88) and 1500 freestyle (14:34.41) in Singapore, setting a new textile world record in the former, and he's also the reigning short course world champion in the 1500 free. A Tunisian native, Jaouadi will join countryman Ahmed Hafnaoui in Gainesville, with Hafnaoui, the 2023 world champion in the 800 and 1500 free, having transferred to the Gators in June. "We're thrilled to welcome Ahmed (Jaouadi) to the Gator family and look forward to supporting him as he takes the next big step here in Gainesville," said Florida's Head Coach Anthony Nesty. In addition to aligning with Hafnaoui, bringing in Jaouadi gives Florida four of the best distance freestylers in the world, with Olympic champions Katie Ledecky and Bobby Finke also training at the University of Florida as pros. Jaouadi has trained in France under renowned distance coach Philippe Lucas for the past three years. Jaouadi joins a stacked Florida recruiting class that also includes Dutch World Championship finalist Koen de Groot (spring 2026), along with Nil Cadevall, Alex Cohoon, Charlie Hutchison, Jordan Willis, and Marvin Johnson. Read more here. QUICK HITS
By James Sutherland on SwimSwam We're calling on readers' ideas and concerns for USA Swimming moving forward as the public discourse has been loud over the last seven days. Read the full story on SwimSwam: A Path Forward: What Is USA Swimming’s Solution Amid Public Disputes?
By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam Three of five meets deciding Team USA’s 2026 Pan Pac roster are complete. Here’s where things stand before the final two competitions unfold later this month. Read the full story on SwimSwam: How Team USA’s Pan Pacs Roster Is Looking After Worlds, WUGs, and U.S. Nationals
By James Sutherland on SwimSwam Jaouadi won a pair of World Championship titles last week in Singapore, establishing himself as the best male distance freestyler on the planet. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Double World Champion Ahmed Jaouadi Commits To The University of Florida
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam Michael Phelps disputed Bob Vincent's claim that he and Rowdy Gaines have been welcomed to participate in the process at USA Swimming. Read the full story on SwimSwam: USA Swimming Interim CEO Bob Vincent Releases a Statement, Phelps Pushes Back Again
By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam After racing in Irvine at the US Summer Championships in Irvine, California, Caeleb Dressel spoke candidly with SwimSwam about the year he has had Read the full story on SwimSwam: Caeleb Dressel in Irvine: “I desperately want to just get back”
By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam Irish Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen will be leaving Loughborough and moving to Cal once he is recovered from his appendicitis. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Daniel Wiffen Leaving Loughborough After Five Years, Will Be Training at Cal
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We're calling on readers' ideas and concerns for USA Swimming moving forward as the public discourse has been loud over the last seven days.
Three of five meets deciding Team USA’s 2026 Pan Pac roster are complete. Here’s where things stand before the final two competitions unfold later this month.
Jaouadi won a pair of World Championship titles last week in Singapore, establishing himself as the best male distance freestyler on the planet.
Michael Phelps disputed Bob Vincent's claim that he and Rowdy Gaines have been welcomed to participate in the process at USA Swimming.
After racing in Irvine at the US Summer Championships in Irvine, California, Caeleb Dressel spoke candidly with SwimSwam about the year he has had
Irish Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen will be leaving Loughborough and moving to Cal once he is recovered from his appendicitis.
