Michael Phelps Speaks Out Against USA Swimming. He's Entirely Justified.

Almost 600 underage swimmers were abused and raped by over 250 coaches and officials over a 20-year period. Reports continue to pile up. And yet USA Swimming drags its feet on any meaningful change.

Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history, 28 medals, 23 of them gold. They were all won under the banner of USA Swimming, the powerful federation that governs the sport in America. This week, in a lengthy Instagram post, he said he is not sure he would let his own children swim in that system. His charge: “weak leadership” and a governing body that ignores its athletes.

He has reason to doubt. For decades, abuse and sexual exploitation were rife in U.S. swimming, much of it involving children. A 2018 investigation found that over a 20-year span, at least 252 USA Swimming coaches and officials were criminally charged or sanctioned for sexual misconduct against more than 590 underage victims.

The pattern is long and well-documented. Even the briefest account spans decades: