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Michael Phelps Responds to the Insults Directed at American Swimmers by an Austrialian Competitor
Michael Phelps was visibly agitated while responding to derogatory remarks made by an Australian swimmer against her American counterparts last year.
Phelps Reacts to Cate Campbell’s Criticism
An NBC Olympics clip released on Friday showed Phelps’s response to a video of Australia’s Cate Campbell harshly criticizing U.S. swimmers during the 2023 World Championships in Japan.
The Background
Campbell, a recipient of four Olympic gold medals, sharply criticised the Americans after NBC’s coverage of the event last July displayed a graphic ranking nations by their total medal tally, thereby putting the U.S. at the top.
Despite this, it was Australia that had secured the most gold medals, which are typically used to rank countries in medal tables.
Australia’s “Sweet” Victory
“Australia being at the top of the world is one thing, but beating America makes it so much sweeter,” Campbell declared on Australia’s Channel Nine. She went on to express her relief at not hearing the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ during the first night of the competition and implored the U.S. to quit being “sore losers.”
Phelps’ Advice to Team USA
After familiarising himself with Campbell’s comments, Phelps encouraged American athletes to use them as a driving force in the upcoming Paris Olympics.
If these remarks were made about him, Phelps shared that he would not only find them offensive but use them as motivation to prove the offender wrong. He added, “I would make them eat every word they just hurled at me.”
Phelps’ Own Experience with provocation
Phelps cited his previous encounters with South African swimmer Chad le Clos and Australian Ian Thorpe and how their trash-talk only motivated him to perform better. “I had the last laugh,” he boasted.
As a word of advice to his fellow Americans, Phelps suggested, “If you see what I just saw… I would watch that every single day for that extra bit of motivation.”
Phelps as Part of the Paris Games
Michael Phelps, who is the most decorated Olympian with 28 medals, including 23 golds, will be part of the NBCUniversal team covering the Paris Games, as announced last weekend.
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