Michael Phelps admits he's ‘pretty disappointed’ in US swimming results at Paris Olympics

Michael Phelps has given a damning verdict of his compatriots performances at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The most decorated Olympian of all time, Phelps has spoken out about how Team USA's performance at this summer's Olympic Games have left him 'pretty disappointed'.

If you're an American swimmer, it must be tough to hear that from your hero - because let's face it, he's 39 now so the current US swimmers will have likely grown up idolising him.

Speaking to USA Today earlier this week, Phelps said: "For me, one of the things that I’ve always said over the last couple of years is the rest of the world is catching up.

"I think a lot of the things that we’ve done as a country for so long, the other people are catching up. They’re doing the same thing.

"Hopefully, we’re able to make that transition leading into 2028."

Phelps won 23 gold medals - 14 more than the six Olympians with the joint-second most medals - as well as three silvers and two bronzes over four summer games between 2004 and 2016.

So, trying to follow in the footsteps (or speedos) of an athlete who largely dominated the sport like no one has before is a tall order.

But maybe that's what has made him arguably the greatest athlete to ever grace the planet.

Giving his opinion on this year's performance from Team USA's Olympic swimmers, he added to USA Today: "For me as a whole, I was pretty disappointed to see the US swimming results."

However, not everyone got a blasting as Phelps praised Bobby Finke, who set a new world record when he won gold in the 1,500m freestyle with a time of 14:.30.67 - beating Sun Yang's record by 0.35 seconds, set in 2011.

Finke will take home a gold and a silver medal, as well as a new admirer in Phelps.

He continued: "Obviously there were a few standout swims and those you have to recognize, you know Bobby Finke last night, swimming that was unbelievable.

"I mean I have chills right now talking about it. That was one of the greatest swims in the Olympics in my opinion. Being able to break that world record in the matter that he did it.

"Just taking it out challenging the other guys just to make him move he was prepared, hopefully the other athletes are more prepared going into '28 [Los Angeles 2028 Olympics]."

Team USA didn't do too bad, well they didn't do bad at all - taking home 28 medals - eight gold, 13 silver and seven bronze medals.

Phelps added: "You know, records are made to be broken; the records I was chasing throughout my career motivated me, so hopefully I can motivate somebody to do the same thing."

Team USA's current medal count - 94

Gold medalists

• Lee Kiefer: Fencing - Women's individual foil
• Torri Huske: Swimming - Women's 100m butterfly
• Jack Alexj, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held, Matt King: Swimming - Men's 4x100m freestyle
• Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's team competition
• Katie Ledecky: Swimming - Women's 1500m freestyle
• Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan: Rowing - Men's coxless four
• Jacqueline Dubrovich, Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, Maia Mei Weintraub - Fencing: Women's foil team
• Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's individual all-around
• Kate Douglass: Swimming - Women's 200m breaststroke
• Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's vault
• Vincent Hancock: Shooting - Men's skeet
• Ryan Crouser: Athletics - Men's shot put
• Katie Ledecky: Swimming - Women's 800m freestyle
• Nic Fink, Torri Huske, Ryan Murphy, Gretchen Walsh: Swimming - Mixed 4x100m medley relay
• Bobby Finke: Swimming - Men's 1500m freestyle
• Kristen Faulkner: Cycling - Women's road race
• Scottie Scheffler: Golf - Men's individual stroke play
• Noah Lyles: Athletics - Men's 100m
• Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske: Swimming - Women's 4x100m medley relay
• Valarie Allman: Athletics - Women's discus throw
• Caroline Marks: Surfing - Women's Shortboard
• Cole Hocker: Athletics - Men's 1500m
• Gabby Thomas: Athletics - Women's 200m
• Amit Elor: Wrestling - Women's freestyle 68kg
• Chloe Dygert, Kristen Faulkner, Jennifer Valente, Lily Williams: Track Cycling - Women's team pursuit
• Sarah Ann Hildebrandt: Wrestling - Women freestyle's 50kg
• Quincy Hall: Athletics - Men's 400m

Silver medalists

• Nic Fink: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
• Lauren Scruggs: Fencing - Women's individual foil
• Gretchen Walsh: Swimming - Women's 100m butterfly
• Haley Batten: Mountain Bike - Women's cross country
• Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh. Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, Erika Connolly, Abbey Weitzel: Swimming - Women's 4x100m freestyle
• Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook: Diving - Women's springboard 3m synchronised
• Katie Grimes: Swimming - Women's 400m individual medley
• Jagger Eaton: Skateboarding - Men's street
• Regan Smith: Swimming - Women's 100m backstroke
• Bobby Finke: Swimming - Men's 800m freestyle
• Carson Foster, Brooks Curry, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, Kieran Smith: Swimming - Men, 4x200m freestyle
• Perris Benegas: Cycling - Women's BMX freestyle
• Torri Huske: Swimming - Women's 100m freestyle
• Regan Smith: Swimming - Women's 200m butterfly
• Erin Gemell, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Simone Manuel, Anna Peplowski, Alex Shackell, Claire Weinstein: Swimming - Women's 4x200m freestyle
• Karl Cook, Laura Kraut, McLain Ward: Equestrian - Jumping team
• Sagen Maddalena: Shooting - Women, 50m rifle 3 positions
• Regan Smith: Swimming - Women's 200m backstroke
• Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram: Tennis - Men's doubles
• Conner Prince: Shooting - Men's skeet
• Joe Kovacs: Athletics - Men's shot put
• Kaylyn Brown, Bryce Deadmon, Shamier Little, Vernon Norwood: Athletics - 4x400m relay mixed
• Sha'Carri Richardson: Athletics - Women's 100m
• Kate Douglass: Swimming - Women's 200m individual medley
• Brady Ellison: Archery: Men's individual
• Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Nic Fink, Ryan Murphy: Swimming - Men's 4x100m medley relay
• Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb: Triathlon - Mixed relay
• Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's floor exercise
• Sam Kendricks: Athletics - Men's pole vault
• Vincent Hancock and Jewell Austen Smith: Shooting - Mixed team skeet
• Annette Nneka Echikunwoke: Athletics - Women's hammer throw
• Tom Schaar: Skateboarding - Men's skateboarding park
• Anita Alvarez, Jaime Czarkowski, Megumi Field, Keana Hunter, Audrey Kwon, Caista Liu, Jacklyn Luu, Daniella Ramirez, Ruby Remati: Artistic swimming - Team
• Katie Moon: Athletics - Women's pole vault
• Kenneth Rooks: Athletics - Men's 3000m steeplechase

Bronze medalists

• Carson Foster: Swimming - Men's 400m individual medley
• Katie Ledecky: Swimming - Women's 400m freestyle
• Chloe Dygert: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
• Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, Paul Juda, Asher Hong: Artistic Gymnastics - Men's team competition
• Nick Itkin: Fencing - Men's foil individual
• Emma Weyant: Swimming - Women's 400m individual medley
• Ryan Murphy: Swimming - Men's 100m backstroke
• Luke Hobson: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
• Nyjah Huston: Skateboarding - Men's street
• Ilona Maher, Kayla Canett, Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirshe, Sarah Levy, Alena Olsen, Ariana Ramsey, Steph Rovetti, Alex Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan, Naya Tapper: Rugby 7s - Women's team competition
• Katharine Berkoff: Swimming - Women's 100m backstroke
• Evy Leibfarth: Canoe slalom - Women's Canoe Single
• Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's individual all-around
• Casey Kaufhold, Brady Ellison: Archery - Mixed Team
• Grant Fisher: Athletics - Men's 10,000m
• Ian Barrows and Hans Henken: Sailing - Men's skiff
• Henry Hollingsworth, Nick Rusher, Christian Tabash, Clark Dean, Chris Carlson, Peter Chatain, Evan Olson, Pieter Quinton: Rowing - Men's eight
• Stephen Nedoroscik: Gymnastics - Men's pommel horse
• Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul: Tennis - Men's doubles
• Jade Carey: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's vault
• Jasmine Moore: Athletics - Women's triple jump
• Melissa Jefferson: Athletics - Women's 100m
• Paige Madden: Swimming - Women's 800m freestyle
• Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's uneven bars
• Austen Jewell Smith: Shooting - Women's skeet
• Fred Kerley: Athletics - Men's 100m
• Jordan Chiles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's floor exercise
• Cierra Burdick, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Hailey van Lith: 3x3 basketball - Women's competition
• Yared Nuguse: Athletics - Men's 1500m
• Brittany Brown: Athletics - Women's 200m
• Omari Jones: Boxing - Men's 71kg
• Hampton Morris: Weightlifting - Men's 61 kg
• Samuel Watson: Sport climbing - Men's speed