Phelps is back to his best: Busch

Count on Michael Phelps to set new swimming records at the 2016 Olympics, says USA Swimming national team director Frank Busch.

Despite coming out of retirement only last April, the 30-year-old American clocked the world’s fastest time this year in the 100m fly on Aug 8 when he won the US Nationals in 50.45s.

The time eclipsed the gold-medal winning time of 50.56s that South African Chad le Clos had set eight hours earlier at the World Championships in Kazan. It is also almost a second faster than the time Phelps had set to win gold in the event at the 2012 Olympics (51.21s).

And Busch believes there will be more to come from the swimmer, who had initially quit his sport after the 2012 Olympics. He thinks that the 18-time Olympic gold medallist, who still holds the world record in six events, can even go on to rewrite more world records at the 2016 Olympics.

“He has proven to be successful even when he is not at the very top of his game,” said Busch.

“I think he is capable of a world record, I really do. Since he owns most of them too, I wouldn’t bet against him. It would either (be in the) 100m or 200m butterfly … He is going to swim the races that he has the most confidence in, and there is only one thing he thinks about — yes, about winning, but also about swimming very fast.

“You used to think that in a sport, when someone hits 30, there is no way they can compete … (But) you can do anything up till your body says no, and for Michael’s case, he looks as good now as he has in all the years I’ve known him.

“He is fit, and has changed his lifestyle too (including vowing to abstain from alcohol till after the 2016 Olympics). So he is really in a great place.” ADELENE WONG