US team's world championships exhibition is subject to unfavorable reviews, but Walsh silences the condemnation.
U.S. Swimming Team Faces Challenges at 2025 World Championships in Singapore
The U.S. swimming team faced a series of difficulties during the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, with an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis affecting a significant number of athletes.
The illness, which affected around 85% of the team, led to multiple event withdrawals and swimmers competing below their best capability. The situation was further complicated by poor planning decisions, including the choice of Thailand for the pre-championship training camp, which may have contributed to the illness spreading within the team.
Despite these setbacks, the U.S. still managed to win the most gold medals (nine) and total medals (29) at the championships, demonstrating resilience but also highlighting underlying issues that need addressing before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The illness severely impacted performance, particularly on the men’s side, where expectations had been high due to previous underwhelming results at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The American men’s team managed only six individual medals, far below traditional standards.
The disrupted preparation and health issues led to criticism and public debate about leadership and management within USA Swimming. High-profile former swimmers such as Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps expressed sharp criticism on social media, symbolizing disappointment and concerns about the program’s direction.
However, current Olympian and winner at the meet, Bobby Finke, countered this criticism as “stupid” and defended the team’s efforts under the difficult circumstances.
Gretchen Walsh, a member of the U.S. team, won the 50 metres butterfly title on Saturday in Singapore. Walsh stated that she is trying to ignore the criticism directed towards the team.
Ryan Lochte, a six-time Olympic champion, shared an image on social media about the U.S. Swimming team, which depicted a tombstone with the inscription: "In loving memory of United States Swimming." The caption on Michael Phelps' share suggested that the post could be a "wake-up call" for USA Swimming, referring to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The U.S. swimming team’s subpar performance and the ensuing criticism at the 2025 World Championships were largely consequences of a team-wide outbreak of acute gastroenteritis, illness-related withdrawals and weakened performances, and questioned leadership decisions especially regarding the pre-competition camp location and illness management.
[1] ABC News [2] USA Today [3] CNN [4] Swimming World Magazine
- The illness that affected a significant number of U.S. Swimming Team members at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore led to the team's subpar performance, resulting in multiple event withdrawals and swimmers competing below their best capability.
- High-profile former swimmers such as Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps, critical of the U.S. Swimming Team's performance at the 2025 World Championships, took to social media to express their disappointment and concerns, with Lochte even sharing an image implying a "wake-up call" for USA Swimming for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
