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- Olympics greats Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte rip USA Swimming during 2025 World Championships: 'Call it a funeral'</p>
<p>Chris CwikAugust 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM</p>
<p>Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte aren't happy with the way Team USA has performed at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Phelps and Lochte expressed their disappointment with the team, sharing an Instagram post proclaiming it was time to hold a funeral for USA Swimming.</p>
<p>Lochte was the first to share the image, which features people in mourning at a funeral. The image contains a tombstone, which reads: "In loving memory of United States Swimming."</p>
<p>Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte just took some public shots at USA Swimming on Instagram.Agree with them or not, this is a pretty big deal. They're fed up and not afraid to start letting people know. pic.twitter.com/R9nxNBzeuP</p>
<p>— Kyle Sockwell (@kylesockwell) August 1, 2025</p>
<p>The tombstone then lists the dates 1980-2025, suggesting USA Swimming lived 45 years before dying in 2025. Under those dates lies an epitaph, which reads, "They set the bar high — until they stopped reaching for it."</p>
<p>It's unclear whether Lochte found the image elsewhere or asked for it to be generated. The image appears to be made by A.I.</p>
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<p>Phelps shared the image on Instagram, adding his own critique of USA Swimming. Phelps' comment read, "Is this the wake up call USA Swimming needed? Let's find out....."</p>
<p>Lochte and Phelps opted to share the image during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Team USA got out to a slow start at the event, as multiple members of the team dealt with acute gastroenteritis.</p>
<p>Despite those early struggles, the team secured five gold medals as of Friday morning. That tied Team USA with Australia for the most swimming medals at the event. Team USA does own the most overall swimming medals at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, with 20.</p>
<p>That performance isn't good enough for Lochte and Phelps, who happen to know a thing or two about the sport. Phelps is widely celebrated as one of the best swimmers — and one of the best Olympic athletes — of all time. He won 23 gold medals, the most of any Olympian. He also holds the record for most gold medals in individual events, with 13. Long after his retirement, Phelps remains one of the most prominent names in the sport.</p>
<p>Lochte is a six-time Olympic gold medalist, winning events between 2004 and 2016. Two of Lochte's gold medals came in individual events. The other four came in relays, where Phelps was one of his teammates. The pair played a major role in Team USA's swimming dominance during their careers.</p>
<p>Between 2003 and 2022, Team USA secured the most gold medals in swimming at the World Championships every year they were held. Team USA finished second to Australia in 2023, ending that streak, but then bounced back to reclaim first at the 2024 Olympics.</p>
<p>Despite Team USA tying for the lead in gold medals and leading the pack with 20 overall swimming medals in 2025, Lochte and Phelps clearly view the squad's performance as a major disappointment.</p>
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Source: "AOL Sports"
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