BALTIMORE, Maryland, November 22. MOST of the swimming world has kept up the pressure on Michael Phelps in hopes of a return to competition in time for the 2016 Rio Olympics, but now the biggest swim fan of them all is publicly calling for the Greatest of All Time to comeback — his mom, Debbie.<\/p>\n
According to NBC Sports’ Nick Zaccardi, a friend of Swimming World, Debbie discussed a possible comeback by Michael with a local Baltimore radio station after news broke that Michael is back in the drug testing pool as the latest sign of a return from a short retirement.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know if we’re going to Rio, but I know that, according to the Baltimore Sun and out there in social media, Michael did make an announcement about being back in the pool,” Debbie Phelps told WBAL News. “Where that leads him, I don’t know, I’m hoping it does lead us to Brazil. But, you know, athletes, children, composers, artists have to love what they do. Michael has a love for his sport, a passion for his sport. I know when he went to Barcelona for world champs last year [July 2013], I watched his face. He has such eagerness about where the sport of swimming is going to go. I’m supporting him all the way as his mom.”<\/p>\n
Unless Michael hit a wall in training and feels that he would not be able to compete at a world-class level, there’s not much more left to likely hold him back from a return to competition. He’s back in the testing pool, which requires updating USADA of every hour of your day and submitting to drug tests with regularity. He’s also back in the pool with some of the top talent in the world like Yannick Agnel, Conor Dwyer, Matt McLean and Tom Luchsinger. Now, his mom even wants him to go to Rio.<\/p>\n
NBC Sports article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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