There are numerous instances when people have faced disappointment in the behavior of their favorite celebrity. They sometimes do not act according to people’s expectations of them. In 2016, Bob Bowman said something similar about Michael Phelps before leaving for the Rio Olympics.

Right before the 2016 Rio Games, the coach and Olympian attended an interview to share the dynamics of their relationship.

Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman did not always agree with each other

In another interview, Phelps acknowledged that Bowman was a “father figure’ in his life. However, sometimes close bonds come with their share of difficulties. But it is also true that finding the right balance at work can be challenging when working with a friend or a relative.

And for Phelps, Bowman is exactly that, a friend, a relative, a father figure. However, the coach did not always appreciate Phelp’s behavior towards him. At times, he even found the athlete’s conduct to be self-centered. Bowman even called him out for this behavior, notably during interviews. The coach’s frustration is evident from what he said during the interview.

Bowman explained how Phelps would try to reach the pool before he did during weekends. And during the days when the Olympian arrived before the coach, he would try to criticize the coach for arriving late.

Reflecting on the times, Bowman said, “And if he ever did, it was, ‘Well, I’m here before you — don’t you know the coach should be here before the athlete?'”

However, the coach was always prepared to face Phelps, and he had the perfect replies for him. “I’d be like, ‘OK, Michael. That’s Bob 5,028 and Michael 2. When you even it up, let me know,'” added Bowman.

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Phelps tried to find flaws with the coach and did not skip a chance to criticize Bowman. One time, the swimmer wanted to know his time after completing a set. When the coach said he did not keep the time, the athlete replied, “See the s*** I have to deal with?”

Once the coach missed a training session for feeling under the weather. And the 28-time Olympic medalist texted him saying, “If I would have known you weren’t going to coach me I would have just stayed in Baltimore.”

“Only he would do that,” continued Bowman, seemingly frustrated at the text. “Everybody else is worried, ‘Oh my god, Bob never misses a practice.’ And that’s his message to me. And he means it. It’s kind of this egocentric thing.”

How did Phelps perform under Bowman?

The coach and the swimmer share a complicated relationship, fueled by tensions in the pool. But it had worked for the duo so far. Under Bowman’s guidance, the Baltimore Bullet became the most decorated Olympian.

He went on to win an astonishing 28 medals in the Olympics alone. Moreover, the swimmer also had a prolific run at the World Championships. But his relationship with his coach kept changing now and then.

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Much like us, athletes are prone to the same sets of emotions that we experience. Therefore, it is not unusual to see them acting rashly at times. In all, the swimmer-coach duo shares a close bond that continues to this day.