OlympicTalk · Jul 31, 2016
Bob Bowman coy on Michael Phelps’ place on relays
The Olympic swimming competition starts Saturday, and it’s still unknown when Michael Phelps will make his first splash of his fifth and final Olympics.
Phelps could debut in the 200m butterfly first round on Aug. 8. Or, if he’s placed on the 4x100m freestyle relay team, despite not swimming the 100m free at the Olympic Trials, he would swim Aug. 7.
The U.S. coaching staff decides which swimmers make up relays.
U.S. men’s head coach Bob Bowman (also Phelps’ longtime personal coach) was asked Saturday by NBC Atlanta 11Alive’s Matt Pearl what Phelps’ chances were of being part of those relays.
“I do know,” Bowman said at a U.S. training camp in Atlanta. “I won’t tell you.”