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U.S. OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS

June 25, 2016

Omaha, Nebraska

THE MODERATOR: Good morning everyone. To my left the guy that doesn't need much of an introduction, Michael Phelps, 22 Olympic medals, 18 of which are gold. His other new title is "father" that he's extremely proud of. To his left, the Head Olympic Men's Coach and Head Coach of Arizona State University, Bob Bowman. We will let Michael start so he can stop shivering opinion.

MICHAEL PHELPS: I just got an ice cup, so it's a little cold.

THE MODERATOR: We will let Michael start so he can stop shivering.

MICHAEL PHELPS: Go ahead. You guys go ahead. I'm not going to say anything.

Q. I'll start this off! During the course of your career have you generally felt more pressure at the Trials or at the Olympics, and is it any different this year?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I think for us being as strong of a swimming country as we are, I think there's probably more pressure at Trials than the Games.

You know, we have almost 2,000 people here, and a maximum of 52 will make the team, so it's a pretty small chance, and we could probably send people to the Olympics that could get third, and we could go one, two, three, you know, so we have that kind of depth, I think, in our sport here in the country.

So it is challenging, and I think just this is more pressure and more excitement here, and I don't want to say more excitement, but more pressure here than the Olympics for sure. It's harder here.

Q. (No microphone.)
MICHAEL PHELPS: Yeah, I mean, I still think just getting on the team. Nobody is a shoe-in and nobody is a lock; we've seen that a number of times in the sport, and, you know, I think just being able to get up that day and do something is what we have to do to make the team, and sometimes it's challenging. So it doesn't matter if I was the best of the best in the best shape possible, still just getting on that team is something that we all want here.

Q. Michael, you've been in Trials since 2000 in very different venues, relatively little one at Indy and then a bigger one outdoors at Long Beach and also the three here. Just if you'd discuss the differences in the atmosphere and also your mantra your whole career has been wanting to change the sport, and your presence here and the goal for the eight gold medals undoubtedly helped kick this Omaha off as a Trials city. Are you pleased as much as -- the 18 and the 22 medals, your role in that, does that -- is that another medal of a sort?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I think going there in 2000, it was crazy, because it was like there was really no seating. It was 3,000 and I felt like it was packed! And being able to go outside in Long Beach I think helped us a lot for Athens being outdoors. It was interesting being in the parking lot of a aquarium, I mean, I wouldn't really see that being a place for a swim meet, but, hey, you never know.

And being able to come here, I was talking to -- I talked to Reece (Whitley) the other day when we were standing out on the pool deck, and I was like, "Oh my gosh, this is your first one!" And he was like, "This place is amazing," and I was like, "Wait until the lights come on! That's when everything really happens!"

I think the sport has changed a lot, and it's going in the direction that I love, being able to have you guys here and wanting to cover us, I think it's something that we're very thankful for, you know, watching the sport take off from 2000 until what it is today. It's a significant change, but I think for me there's still more. Do I know what that is right now? No. But I still feel that we can do more to promote this sport, even to another level than where we are right now. And, you know, for me I'm a very goal-oriented person, and I will go down swinging until the day I die to continue to try to change this sport, to take it to a higher level.

Q. Michael, how is fatherhood so far? What are you learning about yourself through that and in some of the big events that have happened to you in the last couple of years as far as maturing, going through challenges, sobriety, fatherhood and obviously continuing to push it in the pool?
MICHAEL PHELPS: Fatherhood has been awesome. You know, it's still crazy. When I'm holding him or laying on the couch with him, it's just awesome being able to welcome a new person into this world, and Nicole and I couldn't be happier. Grandpa, Bob, I think, is very happy. It's just -- I mean, going home, I've learned which cry means what. If he needs a diaper change, if he needs mom, all of these different cries.

So it's been a really fun journey over the last couple of years, and a journey that I think has made me the person who I am and helped me transform to me just being me.

I think that's the best thing about the journey that I've been on, and it's been an exciting one. Nicole and I are so stoked! I get 30 photos a day when I'm out of town. I think I might have to just get a new phone to hold all the memory for the photos! It's fun watching him grow up, like I've already -- he's only seven weeks, but I feel like just watching him gain weight and grow hair and see his eyes start to change color. I think that's just something that I've never experienced that, you know, to me is just awesome.

Q. Michael, as someone who has dominated a sport for so long, what has it been like to watch Katie Ledecky over the last few years?
MICHAEL PHELPS: For me it's like, you know, she is such a strong swimmer and such a dominant swimmer. She's -- you can tell she is very goal oriented, and for me it brought me back to kind of what I was like way, way, way back in the day! She just -- every time she gets in the water, it's like a world record, so she is improving so much, and I think she is just trying to push that barrier, and I think it's pretty exciting to watch her do that.

You know, her stroke is something that you don't see too much in women's freestyle. I think her stroke is phenomenal, how she transitions, and now the walls are great, her kick is great. She does the work, and it shows, and I think that is something that is awesome to see, and still to see that excitement from the young kids is something that is good for me to see, too.

You don't really see it -- I don't see it that much anymore, and sort of watching how hungry she is and every single day she is going in trying to change something and trying to get better. It just gives me a lot of she is trying to get better. It just gives me a lot of, I think, good thoughts of what there is to come in the sport of swimming for the younger kids.

Q. Michael, I'm wondering how much Boomer has been able to be around when you've been in Colorado Springs or here.
MICHAEL PHELPS: He's flying in with Nicole, I think, tomorrow. He's come to the pool a couple of times to watch practice. He actually loved the heat. He likes to be outside. We will give him the bath, and sometimes he's happy, and sometimes he starts crying when he gets out because he likes the water. Then we take him outside, and he's just kind of like in a daze, just looking all over the place. So he's been to the pool a few times, and I think he's -- Nicole sends me these little stories, she sends little photos and there are little captions underneath of them. So it's like -- there was one yesterday -- the one I posted before we took off of him crying, and the caption underneath of it was, I'm going to be so tired from traveling all day to Omaha.

So it's funny things like that that she always sends me. I'm looking forward to having him here and just being able to have my son, my first child be able to watch me at some of my last competitions I think is pretty special. I'm sure he's not going to remember it, but just to be able to document that is something that will be cool and be pretty fun to share with him years down the road.

Q. You've talked a lot about your mental state four years ago. What part of that was just being kind of tired of the whole carnival that goes with being Michael Phelps, every eye in the place on you, everybody wanting to talk to you, all the attention that goes with that and kind of what's your perspective on that now? Part two, much more specifically, your program this week, what are your plans for the two freestyle races.
MICHAEL PHELPS: Oh, the famous question, you guys are already -- couple questions in, wow! I mean, going into '12 I just didn't want to do it. That's it. That's pretty much the only thing that needs to be said. I wasn't happy doing what I was doing. I sure as hell wasn't training, we all saw that. I tried to fake it, pretty much. That's what I was doing. And I didn't want to have -- I don't like allowing myself to do that and I think, for me, you know, that was something that haunted me for a while and, you know, it's exciting to be back here again, you know, I'm -- I was thinking swimming in the warm-down pool, I was warming down off doing a couple of 50s today, and Ryan and Elizabeth Beisel and I was joking around and laughing, and it was actually enjoyable. It wasn't like a fake laugh or this or that. I was actually enjoying myself, and we were telling jokes with one another. That's what I didn't have in 2012. That was nowhere to be found.

I wanted to get in and out as fast as I could and really wanted nothing to do with it. So, you know, I think I'm just happier, a lot happier doing what I'm doing now, and that's why I've been able to be successful over the last two years.

Q. I've heard you just say that the -- two-parter.
MICHAEL PHELPS: Let me answer that. I don't know -- I don't know really what I'm swimming yet. We're still kind of playing it by ear. I might be doing the free; I might not. The first event either is the 200 Free or 200 Fly --

BOB BOWMAN: Maybe 200 Fly.

MICHAEL PHELPS: 200 Fly? Now Bob is playing jokes. After Austin I was kind of frustrated with how I swam down there, and Bob and I just -- I did a lot of thinking and we're kind of -- I think I'm pretty much set on what I want to swim, and you guys will see the first event soon. That's all I'm saying.

Q. Some things never change.
MICHAEL PHELPS: That's right! (Laughter.)

Q. I've heard you talk about where the name that you -- y'all just liked the name Boomer! Did you see that anywhere in I've never known a child named Boomer, so did y'all like the Oklahoma Sooners?
MICHAEL PHELPS: No, I was like -- I was just sitting there watching football one day, and it was Boomer Esiason. And I was like, wow that's an interesting name. And we didn't want -- we didn't want, like, a typical Joe or Michael. We didn't want, like, a normal name. We're like, let's just name him something -- pick a name that we like and that is different and that -- it's just -- we both think it's cool. I was sitting there and contemplated even telling her that I liked it and I was just like, na, whatever, I'm just going to say it. And I was like, "Boomer is kinda cool!" It's different. We don't really know many Boomers, yeah, it's kind of awesome. And you can go a lot of different ways with a nickname, too. Like Bo, Boom, I don't know. But you can go a lot of different ways with it. We were just super excited, and then Robert as a middle name as well. Robert!

BOB BOWMAN: There you go.

MICHAEL PHELPS: Uncle Robert!

Q. Uncle Robert. Well, Grandpa.
MICHAEL PHELPS: Grandpa Robert.

Q. Grandpa, Let's go with Grandpa. Grandpa?
BOB BOWMAN: Yeah.

Q. Where is your son here in relation to coming into this Trials. We know obviously he's in better shape than in 2012, but what state is he in right now for this situation compared to some of the past situations you've seen him in?
MICHAEL PHELPS: Did you enter me in the 400 IM?

BOB BOWMAN: Secretly, yes. I had to. I was getting withdrawal. I like to start it out right off the bat. I say this with 100% honesty, we're in the "I don't know stage" right now, but in about three days we'll know. That's when I know. I always don't have a feel for it until he's --

MICHAEL PHELPS: That makes me feel good!

BOB BOWMAN: It's always been like that. Before his best meet ever I thought he was terrible; he was great. I think he's trained a lot better than he has. And he seems to be doing well in practice, and that's all we can ask for. But I think he's going to do well. I don't know how you compare them; they're all kinda different, because the work different, the time was different, his age was different.

Q. (No microphone.)
BOB BOWMAN: I think he's a little better than that. Yeah! He trained a lot better through the year than he did before that. And I would say the way he's been in the taper has been pretty comparable, so I would say kinda that's close.

Q. So Olympic Trials back in Omaha again this year as an athlete, from that perspective, do you think it's important to keep having the Trials in the same venue, same city? Does that play a factor in things?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I think it's cool having it here in Omaha. It's definitely crazy with having the College World Series; it's a pretty awesome sports town. I think that a lot of amazing fans that I've seen walking around or in the hotel that are super amped about being here, so Omaha seems like it's been a great fit for us over the last couple of Trials, and my family has loved it, my friends have loved it.

It's a good place. If it's here next time, I will not be swimming, I will be on the pool deck, hopefully have some athletes here.

BOB BOWMAN: Yes.

Q. Michael, if you're telling the truth this time, and this is really the last go-round, how much are you letting yourself take it all in and savoring, kind of, coming to Omaha, Trials, the whole process? Are you allowing yourself moments here and there to really kind of absorb any of this?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I think I kind of have to, just naturally I think I will. I feel like after the last couple of swims in London, I think I allowed myself to do that. I think it's was also naturally done that way. So I think here, kind of having essentially the last races ever on American soil are here. So that's kind of crazy to think about.

I said to somebody the other day, I was like, "Wow, 16 years ago I swam in my first Trials." I was like, "That is nuts!" I've spent more than half of my life in a swimming pool and swimming at this level.

So it's kind of wild to think that way, but it's also awesome to have the support that I have here. I mean, my family is coming out, and I'm super excited to see them. I'm just going to go out and have fun, that's really all I'm gong to do, allow myself to swim however I've prepared. Like Bob said, it could be good, it could be bad. We'll know in a couple of days, and whatever it is, it is. That's just kind of how I'm going through it. Looking forward to it, though.

Q. Are you still planning to bring Boomer to have him come to Rio?
MICHAEL PHELPS: If I make it, yes. If I make the team, then yes.

Q. No concerns healthwise on anything with him?
MICHAEL PHELPS: No.

Q. If you're not going to do the 400 IM, is it possible you would walk in the opening ceremony in Rio?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I don't know. I played with the idea if I make it, but I don't know. It's kind of worked not going to it for all of these Olympics, so I think I'll probably sit it out. It's a lot of standing on your feet, six hours, seven hours on your feet. Getting older now, so I don't know if I can handle that. I will use that as my excuse.

Q. Knowing that you're going to be on deck coaching and, Bob, you will be there with him, curious as to, Michael, what do you think you've learned about coaching from Bob, and, Bob, what advice would you have to Michael as he starts his coaching career?
MICHAEL PHELPS: Coaching I don't know if I learned that much. I think I probably will be -- I probably will have to learn how not to be as hard on kids. I think that's something that -- even with, like, Chase, I'm super hard on him, but I want the best for him, and I know he's talented. I know he trains hard. I think that's something that I'll probably have to watch and control, but after seeing him around sort of the college team and how he is, and knowing him for so long, I think it will be kind of easy to just transition.

BOB BOWMAN: I think my advice is he's going to have to be a little more patient. He came in first day he's like, "Oh we got this kid, this, that that that that, all of these things we've got to change." He comes back a week later and he's like, "They haven't changed anything of that stuff. What the hell are you doing?" And I was like, "It takes a little longer with mere mortals than it might take someone of your ability," so I think that will be good for him.

Q. Do you guys think that Michael has proved that he belongs on the two free relays, the 400 and the 800 going into Trials, or do you think there needs to be something else shown?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I mean, I think really it's -- nothing is a lock, and I think whoever is swimming -- whoever is swimming the best should be on those relays, and obviously in you're in a rhythm and you didn't swim it at Trials, or you didn't swim it at a meet leading up to it, and the coach thinks you should be on it, then that's their decision. I'm fine with whatever they choose. If I make the team, and I'm on it, great, if I'm not, okay.

BOB BOWMAN: I mean, I think you have to weigh how he does in these Trials, and if he's at his top level, you have to assume he's at his top level, you know, across the board. We'll see how things go and look at the field and look at what we've got.

Q. Michael, as experienced as you are, you talked about pressure earlier, as experienced as you are, do you still honestly feel the anxiety or the pressure at this meet and if so how do you clear your head and get ready to compete. Then for Bob, what advice to you give to your less experienced swimmers at this meet to get ready to go?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I think honestly it's more excitement. Like I was complaining about today, I was like, it sucks I'm here this early, because usually I'm the first day, and now everybody is like, oh I get to shave today, oh I get to clip and I'm like, now I'm sitting around for a few days --

BOB BOWMAN: There is still time!

MICHAEL PHELPS: No, I'm not doing the IM! So, you know, I think that's the toughest part for me, because yesterday seemed like it was the longest day of my life sitting in the hotel room, and I have to leave my blinds closed, because if not I look directly at my face on the side of the wall. So I don't get any sunlight, and I just look -- if I do then I'm staring at my face all day! So I think that's the hardest thing for me right now is just realizing that I do have a couple more days to relax than I normally would have from past Trials, and I get to watch the 400 IM, which I'm pretty excited about tomorrow. I think it's going to be a cool race, pretty excited to see what some of those boys go. That's about all. I'm pumped for the 400 Free, too!

BOB BOWMAN: I think my advice would be turn your brain off and let your training come through. Use the emotion to kind of carry you, but don't overthink it.

MICHAEL PHELPS: I think naturally every single kid on this pool deck is jumping out of their shoes just from being excited and, you know, I mean, I would say to a younger kid that's never been here, just relax and have fun, because you've done the training, you've made the time, so just go out and see what happens. If this is your first one and you're 15, you're probably going to have a few more, so just enjoy the environment because it's something that's pretty special, you know, being able to -- you know, I've had the privilege of being in some world record races in this facility and seeing the fireworks go off or the flames going off on the side.

It's pretty awesome, and just the environment when you have the first final, you feel the excitement in the building, and I think that's something that's really special.

Q. A clarification, Bob. When you said earlier before his best meet you thought he was going to do terrible, are you talking about Beijing?
BOB BOWMAN: No, 2007 Melbourne. That's like the best meet a swimmer ever had, and going into that I was convinced things just weren't going to go well. I don't know why.

MICHAEL PHELPS: That's great. I was probably in the best shape I have ever been in, in my life.

BOB BOWMAN: That's what I'm saying! And then in Beijing I was like, okay, maybe he's pretty good! That was the one. So it's kind of like, every sign is good. If it wasn't, I wouldn't tell you, but I'm telling you, everything he's done --

MICHAEL PHELPS: I mean, you guys already know we're pretty good at hiding things. We have publicly stated that in multiple interviews this year already! (Laughter.)

BOB BOWMAN: You'll have to go back through all this and just see what you think. Yeah, I think the signs are good, but, yeah, 2007, I was just like, I don't think this is going to work out, and he was just, like, lights out! What I think really doesn't matter. What he does in a couple days is what's going to matter.

Q. Michael, what do you think of Ryan swimming the 400 IM, because you have been in those shoes thinking you were done with that event. And a more serious question, from 2000 to now do you think the sport is cleaner or not?
MICHAEL PHELPS: I was waiting for that one!

BOB BOWMAN: Whoa!

MICHAEL PHELPS: Ryan swimming the 400 IM tomorrow, I've talked to him this year about it a couple times, and I just said to him, "If you're going to swim it you better train," because you can't do it without it, trust me!

BOB BOWMAN: Words to live by.

MICHAEL PHELPS: I've done it before. There is no way to hide from that race. I think if he's doing it, he thinks that he's ready to do it, and I hope so. Obviously somebody who has been fun for me to race throughout my career, and I think him and Chase are probably going to have a good one tomorrow. Those two racing tomorrow, I know they're both very tough racers, and I swim with Chase every day, and he trains phenomenally, so it will be a fun, exciting one tomorrow. You can count on that.

Your second question, the only person that I really care about is myself. Whatever anybody else does, it's their choice. Would I like to believe that we compete in a clean sport? Yes. But I think I can honestly say that I will never know for a fact if everybody that we're competing against is clean, and, you know, I think as an athlete that's been in this sport for so long and been at an international level for so long, I think that's just what everybody wants.

If we all could be on the same exact playing field, I think that would be awesome, but some of us are and some of us aren't. But I wake up every day and control the emotions that I go through every day and the things that I do every day and at the end of the day, that's really all that matters.

Q. With the arrival of Boomer and all the challenges that come along with such a life-changing event, how has that affected your preparation if at all so close to Trials?
MICHAEL PHELPS: He was three weeks early, and we were in Colorado, so I came home for a few days and then went back. So before I got home from Colorado, I think I had been with him a total of five days, and then I was home for probably the last two and a half weeks -- ish?

BOB BOWMAN: Yeah.

MICHAEL PHELPS: For me it's been cool. It's just been fun. I think there have been a lot of firsts for me leading up to an Olympic Trials like this, and I think that's just what has made it more fun and more interesting. You know, being able to -- I haven't posted it had yet, but there was a photo of him and I, and he is just passed out on my chest. We're both asleep, and both of our mouths are wide open, so I guess he sleeps exactly like me. Those moments are just something that I cherish and that, you know, I'm extremely thankful for, and they're exciting. Like I said, just watching him grow --

BOB BOWMAN: He has a long body and little legs. I keep trying to move them in a breaststroke motion, you know, start early?

MICHAEL PHELPS: Big hands and big feet, though, little legs.

BOB BOWMAN: Yeah, little arms!

Q. The last thing is I know you're trying to keep your weight up. Where are you with your weight? Are you happy with your weight --
MICHAEL PHELPS: I was 193 last time I weighed myself. I don't know what I am now. Probably like to be -- ideally be 195, but I am what I am and can't really change it, can't really do much now. I was 187 and 2012, so I was --

BOB BOWMAN: Too skinny.

MICHAEL PHELPS: I'm bigger than I was then and healthier than I was then, so we have that to our advantage.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, everybody.

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