'Wow': Michael Phelps Flares Up Over Aussie Swimmer's Jab At U.S. Team

Josephine Harvey
·2-min read

Michael Phelps got pretty fired up watching an Australian swimmer’s criticism of her American rivals from last year.

In a clip posted Friday by NBC Olympics, the Olympic swimming legend was asked to react to a video of Australia’s Cate Campbell ripping into U.S. swimmers at the 2023 World Championships in Japan.

Campbell, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, goaded Americans after an NBC stream of last July’s event showed a graphic that ranked the competing nations by the total number of medals won, thereby placing the U.S. first on the list.

However, Australia had taken away the most gold medals. Generally, medal tables are ranked by which country has won the most golds.

“Such, such, sore losers,” Campbell said on Australia’s Channel Nine at the time. “Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America. There were a couple of nights, particularly the first night of competition, where we did not have to hear ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ ring out through the stadium and I cannot tell you how happy that made me. If I never hear that song again, it will be too soon. And so, bring on Paris, that’s all I have to say. U.S., stop being sore losers.”

After watching some of Campbell’s remarks, Phelps encouraged Team USA athletes to use it as motivation ahead of the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

“Wow,” he said.

“If somebody said that to me, I would lose it. I would literally make them eat every word they just said about me,” he went on.

“’Cause people have done it,” he added, pointing to South African swimmer Chad le Clos and Aussie Ian Thorpe. “You guys have all talked shit about me, and I had the last laugh. So, for the Americans, if you see what I just saw ... I would watch that thing every single day to give me that little extra bit of just oomph.”

Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, including 23 golds. NBCUniversal announced over the weekend that he will join its coverage team for the Paris Games.

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