With the passing of November 6th, 2013, Michael Phelps’ decision has been made as to whether he intends to be eligible to compete at the 2014 USA Swimming National Championships, but that doesn’t mean that we know what the decision is.
FINA rules require athletes to be back in the drug testing pool for 9 months before they are allowed to compete in any FINA-sanctioned competition. With the 2014 USA Swimming National Championship meet scheduled to begin on August 6th in Irvine, California, that means the deadline for anyone wishing to compete at that meet was Wednesday at the absolute latest. Realistically, swimmers would need to qualify for Nationals, so for pragmatic purposes, his decision would have been made at least a week ago, but the more symbolic November 6th date has passed none-the-less.
It’s not much of a secret at this point that Phelps is swimming on a regular basis, but we must be careful not to declare that this is, in fact, a comeback. It could just as easily be for general fitness, or to test and see whether a 2014 comeback ‘feels right.’ Recent re-pushes to his endorsements with Subway and Under Armor seem to be feeding off of the mere potential of a comeback, but there’s still no answer yet.
The reason that this date is so significant is because the 2014 National Championships are the official qualifying meet for both the 2014 Pan Pac Championships and the 2015 World Championships. Everyone in swimming has an opinion on the matter, but if he did not race at 2014 Nationals, he wouldn’t really face the world until he hits the Olympics in Rio in 2016.
The 3rd quarter of 2013, which runs through the end of September, has been completed, but the USADA has not yet released that data. That will likely come in the next few weeks. The 4th-quarter results will be made public in mid-February. That’s when we’ll all get the first set of irrefutable evidence that the comeback is on, as this is the only real way for swimmers to become officially in or out of retirement.
At that point, it will become a watching game to see if or when Phelps officially enters a meet, though, because putting himself into the pool does not force him into the pool.
In other words: we don’t really know more than we did two days ago. But we’re getting closer!
I really dont want him make a comeback he finished on such a high in London like such a beautiful send off for an amazing career hes achieve the ultimate what else is there for him to do.
Its hard to predict results for 2016, but even if he cant mach a stronger Le Clos, he still will be a valuable spot in 4x100free and 4x200free.
Please, don’t come back. You have retired in the best way possible after successful olympic games.
Phelps doesn’t have to and he doesn’t need to swim the 2015 Worlds to swim in Rio and still be succesful.
In her multiple comebacks, Dara Torres never swam in the 1998 worlds or 2007 worlds.
I think you are looking for something that is not there, wishful thinking. I believe there are two reasons why he won’t come back; Chad LeClos, who is starting to eclipse him and Win McMurry. I am a little surprised he has not started another career path like Ray Lewis, or working with people to see how to get attendance up at meets or using his clout to get the sport on TV more often. I probably took that “growing the sport” stuff he was talking about at the Olympics a little too literally.
Are you serious? Phelps is 28, he’s not 38. He half assed his preparation for London and still was only 0.05s behind Le Clos…because he decided to glide, for some reason unknown to mankind (I suppose it’s karma for 0.01 in Beijing, but that’s another story).
If Phelps decides to dedicate himself to serious training, the way he used to do, Le Clos and his ugly stroke can only hope for silver.
Could he make the team for Worlds as a relay only swimmer despite not swimming at Nationals this summer?
dgrob – well, it’s hard to say if an exception would be made. By my interpretation of the rules we’ve seen in every other year, no. They haven’t published the full Worlds procedures though, so I guess USA Swimming could theoretically leave a loophole for such a case if they wanted.
Michael Phelps: RIDICULOUSLY ULTRA-ELITE. But can he maintain his ELITEness through 2016?
I want it to happen so much. I bet Rowdy knows… He always know.