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The Clubhouse

Michael Phelps’ Olympic Comeback Won’t Be Derailed By Suspension

By @Brandon__Raper

Michael Phelps Suspended

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What began as a celebrated return to the pool for swimming legend Michael Phelps has recently been sidetracked by Phelps’ poor decision-making. Following his arrest for driving under the influence in Baltimore a week ago, Phelps was suspended for six months by USA Swimming. It’s a deservedly harsh punishment, but while he won’t be able to compete, this won’t stop Phelps in his quest to return to Olympic glory in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

It’s been six months since Phelps announced that he was coming out of retirement to make one more Olympic run, and to many like myself, the biggest surprise was simply that it took him so long to do so. At 27 years old, Phelps won four gold medals and two silvers in London, in the process becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time.

It was easy to understand why he would want to step away and live his own life, but it became clear that Phelps still had all the skills to compete on the elite world level. He was walking away not because he had to, but because, at the time, the grind of staying in Olympic shape was more than he wanted to do after years of knowing nothing else.

If there were any concerns that Phelps had lost his competitive edge during his “retirement”, either physically or mentally, those fears have been put to rest over the last several months. In his first meet since the 2012 Games, Phelps posted the fifth-fastest 100-meter butterfly time of the year. Weeks later, he matched that time in a victorious, yet technically imperfect race in the Charlotte Grand Prix. If that’s what they call rust, that’s a bad thing for every other swimmer in the world.

Yes, Phelps screwed up big time in Baltimore last week. It’s going to cost him six months of competition, and a slot in 2015 FINA World Championships, the biggest event between now and Rio. That’s the type of misstep that could follow him in personal and professional endeavors for some time to come. He’ll have to straighten out his own life first if he’s going to be the Michael Phelps we all are hoping for on the Olympic stage.

However, we’re also talking about the greatest swimmer of all time. He appears to be fully committed to his training, injury-free and motivated to perform. There’s a case to be made for working off the rust in actual competition, but everything right now is working towards June 26, 2016. That’s the day the United States Olympic Swimming Trials begin.

Despite this major setback, Phelps has proven time and again that when he is motivated to be the best, he usually comes out on top. This time should be absolutely no different.

Brandon Raper is the lead golf writer and an Olympic contributor for Rant Sports. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @Brandon__Raper, and join him on Google+.

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