Michael Phelps teases former coach Bob Bowman as he struggles with hand speed challenge

Modified Dec 19, 2024 16:34 GMT

Michael Phelps recently struggled on a hand speed challenge despite having been one of the fastest to react to a starting pistol during his illustrious swimming career. The American swimmer shared a hilarious reaction afterward, also mentioning his long-time coach Bob Bowman.

Phelps held the fastest times in over five swimming events at a time during his career, and while his mental strength made him stand out as one of the greatest, the 39-year-old was also one of the quickest to react to a starting gun during his career.

However, it's nearing a decade since the 23-time Olympic champion last swam competitively and his reaction time seems to have slowed down. Phelps recently participated in a hand speed challenge and scored 3.5/6.

Phelps reposted the video on his Instagram handle later. The 39-year-old joked about his slow reaction time and mentioned his long-time coach, Bob Bowman.

"Damn. Still slow reaction time @coach_bowman," he wrote.

The American swimming great caught the attention of Bowman when he was teaching at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and the pair eventually joined hands in 1996. Phelps made his Olympic debut at the 2000 Olympics and until his retirement with the 28 medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bowman remained his coach.

"Bob Bowman is a psycho when it comes to details" - Michael Phelps

Olympics - Previews - Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman speaking during a press conference- Source: Getty

Speaking in an interview with Forbes alongside current 400m IM world record holder Leon Marchand, former world record holder Michael Phelps shared that Bob Bowman's attention to detail was the one training tactic that made the American one of the best coaches of all time.

"I mean, Bob is a psycho when it comes to details. (laughs) I mean psycho in the best, most endearing, heartfelt, loving way," he said.

The 28-time Olympic medalist also revealed that Bowman used to put him through every possible situation to prepare him for pressure situations at the events.

"Every single day, our coach Bob is giving us certain challenges to prepare us for the moment those lights come on. The most pressured situations. That’s why Léon and I have been able to rise above the rest. Because Bob has literally put us through every possible situation. So, if there’s a race that comes down to a touch, you can pretty much guarantee it's going to be one of us that's going to win that race. It's because of the repetitions that you do every single day," he added.

Following Phelps, 22-year-old Marchand has emerged as Bowman's star swimmer, winning four gold and one bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.