Fresh off his Olympic success, Bobby Finke isn’t holding back his thoughts. He’s joined Michael Phelps in criticizing Team USA’s performance at the 2024 Olympics. Phelps, who watched from the stands in Paris, saw the U.S. men’s swimming team finish with just one individual gold medal—their worst showing since 1956. “For me, as a whole, I was pretty disappointed to see the U.S. swimming results,” Phelps shared with SI. 

He pointed out that other countries have caught up by adopting and improving on the old U.S. methods, which now seem outdated. Phelps hopes the team will adapt and make the necessary changes by 2028. Finke supported Phelps’ assessment, agreeing that the team needs to evolve and expressing hope for a stronger performance in the next Olympics.

Team USA’s swimmer responds after Michael Phelps’s wake-up call echoes

In a recent interview with Nightcap on YouTube, American swimmer Bobby Finke spoke candidly about Team USA’s performance, agreeing with Michael Phelps. He said, “Yeah, for sure. It was a big wake-up call these past couple of years for men’s swimming, especially because of how deep and competitive it has become. It’s amazing for the sport.” Finke described it as a major wake-up call for the U.S., reflecting on their performances over the past few years. He acknowledged the great competition on the global stage and how swimming has become tougher than before. He also stressed that this increased competition can prove beneficial for the sport moving forward.

Finke echoed Michael Phelps’ sentiments, agreeing with his take on the sport. “You know, Mike said amazing things for the sport,” Finke remarked. “These past couple of years, it was a wake-up call to us. The world’s catching up. We’ve got to do better.” He added, “We’ve got to figure out some ways to be dominant again.” Finke hinted that Team USA might have grown too comfortable with its past success, acknowledging that relying on past achievements is no longer sufficient. To stay ahead, the team must innovate and regain the dominance it once had.

Finke believes that Team USA must develop new strategies to show the world the dominance in swimming that once defined the team, much like the elite swimmers of the past, including Michael Phelps. He also spoke optimistically about the 2028 Olympics, saying, “you know 2028 I feel like. it’s a perfect time to do it perfect time to show the world who we are and that you know we’re still there um Team USA on top always but um you know home Olympics, especially in LA I think it’s going to be really magical for us so.” His viewpoint for the 2028 Olympics is full of hope. 

He senses that this future event will serve not just as another competition but as a moment of rebirth and resurgence. The idea of a “home Olympics” suggests that competing on U.S. soil, where the environment is familiar and supportive, might help rekindle the team’s competitive spirit and return them to their championship form.

Is Team USA’s swimming performance facing a tough year in the pool?

For the first time in nearly seven decades, the Team USA men’s swimming team struggled to dominate as it had in past generations. They secured just one individual gold medal, with Bobby Finke winning the 1500m freestyle in a record-breaking 14:30.67. Finke’s performance earned praise from the GOAT himself. “Finke last night, swimming that, was unbelievable,” Phelps told USA Today. “I have chills right now talking about it.” He called it “one of the best swims in the entire Olympics.” Phelps was particularly impressed by how Finke broke the world record. However, while Finke shone, the rest of the American team fell behind early—a stark contrast to their usual pool dominance. Not since the 1956 Olympics had just one American man won a single individual gold medal.

Phelps disappointingly shook his head in Paris after seeing the performance in the pool. Caeleb Dressel’s performance was also below expectations this time. Given his five gold medals at the Tokyo Games, Dressel was touted as a potential leader for the U.S. men’s swimming team. Yet, he did not secure even one individual medal, despite being favored to win both the 100m butterfly and the 50m freestyle. Hopefully, the Team USA Men’s Swimming team will regain momentum before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.