Editorial content for the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa is sponsored by Arena. For full Swimming World coverage, check out our coverage page.
Just a day after Michael Phelps talked about how painful it was to not be part of the World Championships roster, FINA president Cornel Marculescu said it wouldn’t be a problem to add Phelps to Worlds should USA Swimming request it.
“We may give him another status because he’s the greatest athlete (in) history,” Marculescu told the Associated Press. “We can do whatever. He is the No. 1. He doesn’t need the accreditations. We don’t discuss with USA Swimming yet because they passed so many waves in the case of Phelps.”
Last summer, Phelps agreed with USA Swimming to withdraw himself from the World Championships following his DUI arrest. He just recently finished his six-month suspension with USA Swimming, and has already entered rehab to work on issues with alcohol.
USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus talked about the potential that Phelps could be reinstated earlier this year, but nothing official has occured.
Phelps originally qualified for Worlds in the 100-meter fly, 100-meter free and 200-meter IM. Tyler Clary, who replaced him in the 200-meter IM, has already been on record saying he’d be completely fine giving up his spot. But, Marculescu made it pretty clear that no one would need to lose a spot if Phelps wanted back on the Worlds roster.
“By no means do I want this to be a distraction from the team,” Phelps said during a press conference at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa. “No way would I ever want to displace a member of that team.”