Michael Phelps’ Testimony To Congress: Doping In Swimming Has Frustrated Me For Years

Michael Phelps finally has said what he always wanted to say about swimming cheats.

The Olympic swimming legend revealed his long-standing frustration over doping in swimming Tuesday during his testimony to the U.S. Congress. Phelps told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, which is investigating the international anti-doping system, he has suspected opponents were breaking rules.

“Throughout my career, I have suspected that some athletes were cheating and in some cases those suspicions were confirmed,” Phelps said in his prepared statement. “I can’t adequately describe how frustrating it is to see another athlete break through performance barriers in unrealistic time frames, knowing what I had to go through to do it. I watched how this affected my teammates too. Even the suspicion of doping is disillusioning for clean athletes.”

Phelps, winner of a record 28 Olympic medals, retired permanently from the sport in November when he ended his participation in the drug-testing pool.

One of his first acts outside of the pool is to help clean up the sport he dominated for so long.

Thumbnail photo via Glenn Andrews/USA TODAY Sports Images