Phelps’ Olympic hopes given a boost
US swimmer makes national squad, 2015 world championships as his comeback bid gathers momentum.
Michael Phelps overcame the first hurdle to a potential return to Olympic competition in 2016 when he was named along with exciting teenagers Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin on the US team for the Pan Pacific Championships.
Phelps’ qualification for the August 21-24 championships on Australia’s Gold Coast has also earned the winner of 18 Olympic gold medals a ticket to next year’s world championships in Kazan, Russia.
Phelps, who came out of retirement in May after quitting the sport following the 2012 London Olympics with 22 medals in total, was using the national championships to determine whether he would push through to Rio.
He qualified for the 100 metres butterfly and 200m individual medley at the championships.
The men’s team will also include Olympic gold medalists Nathan Adrian, Tyler Clary, Matt Grevers and 2000 Olympic champion Anthony Ervin.