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The US swimming team fell short at the 2025 World Swimming Championships. |
According to him, the US swimming team is directionless and needs a complete overhaul before it is too late. Gaines did not hesitate to call the US swimming team “a rudderless ship” after the organization operated for nearly a year without an official CEO to succeed Tim Hinchey.
“No organization can operate effectively in that situation,” he said frankly.
At the tournament currently taking place in Singapore, the US team has only won eight gold medals so far - their worst performance since 1988. Part of the reason comes from the controversial training session in Thailand, where many US athletes were infected with acute gastritis, seriously affecting their physical condition right before the tournament.
Gaines also criticized the lack of discipline within the team. According to him, some young athletes are complacent, thinking that they "naturally make it to the finals" without having to put in any effort. This is a sign of a team lacking identity and competition discipline.
Although USA Swimming recently appointed Greg Meehan as its national team director, Gaines warned that he is “walking into a minefield” of dealing with a backlog of issues, from people to systems.
Still, the 65-year-old legend sees hope in bright spots like Luca Urlando, who just won gold in the 200m butterfly, and the US women’s team’s solid performance in relay events. However, he stressed: “We are sprinting towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and there will be no time if the US swimming team does not start to reform now.”
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Luca Urlando - who just won gold medal in 200m butterfly - is a rare bright spot for the US swimming team at the tournament taking place in Singapore. |
American swimming legends Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte also spoke out after the US swimming team's disappointing performance at the 2025 World Championships.
“We can’t just talk about potential. It’s about unleashing it at the right time,” Phelps said, stressing the importance of physical and mental preparation, while also saying the current team lacks consistency and fortitude in the decisive rounds.
Ryan Lochte, who has won 12 Olympic medals, also expressed his disappointment. “I don’t see a clear leader in the current squad. They’re all talented, but someone needs to step up and lead the way, like Phelps did for the previous generation,” Lochte said.
Rowdy Gaines’ warnings show that American swimming is not only facing a professional problem, but also a leadership and internal culture crisis. The decline at the world championships is not an accident, but the result of a long-term process of laxity. And without radical changes, the American swimming team will continue to lose its inherent position on the blue track.
Source: https://znews.vn/doi-boi-my-dang-mat-lai-post1573792.html
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