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Michael Phelps Hates The Water, And Two Other Depressing Things We Learned From His “Sunday Conversation”

One would think Michael Phelps has an amazing life, and in many ways he does. If he wins three gold medals in the London Olympics, he’ll become the most decorated athlete in Olympic history. He seems to be doing pretty well in the female department. But when Phelps sat down for the Sunday Conversation with ESPN’s Jenine Edwards, we saw a more somber, lifeless Michael Phelps.

The 27-year old is about to become the most successful athlete on the grandest possible stage. So what’s got him so upset?

He’s got little to no motivation.

Phelps has averaged seven gold medals per Olympics. It’s nuts. In fact, Phelps’ coach said these Games are the least prepared he’s ever been. Phelps admitted in this interview that Ryan Lotche’s success forced him to get back into the pool to train, and, earlier, he revealed he put on a good amount of weight after the Bejing Games.

He hates the water.

Being a swimmer and disliking the water can probably pose a bit of a dilemma. Phelps in the interview to having trouble getting into the pool. Which is really, really sad.

At 2:25:

“Getting into cold water after getting out of a warm bed is like the worst feeling in the world. It takes me a while to get into the water. I’m kind of the last one into the water every day.”

At 2:40, on a recent trip to Hawaii:

“Guys I don’t want to get wet, I’m not just going to go and splash around in the water.”

Not even Ray Lewis can get him psyched.

And this is it for Michael Phelps. These Olympics appear to be his last. A Baltimore native, and a known Ravens fan, Edwards asked Phelps if world-class motivator Ray Lewis pledged to playing four more years in the NFL, if that would get Phelps to compete in the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

At 2:57:

“That’s not happening. He knows I’m done.”

The full, sad conversation, here.

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