Beware the wounded Phelps, warns Peirsol
SHANGHAI, Jul (Reuters) - Aaron Peirsol has sounded a warning to the world swimming community that his former U.S. team mate Michael Phelps could be a wounded beast at next year's London Olympics if he 'fails' at the world swimming championships.
"This (meeting) for him is important. He wants to do well," the bearded Peirsol told Reuters in the seats high above the pool deck at the Oriental Sports Center.
"If he doesn't do well, to be honest, it may push him that much harder into London.
"I would be more afraid of Michael next year if he does not do well here (and) if I was his other competitors I'd be thinking... 'you know what that means?'."
Peirsol said he had not seen Phelps swim much since his own retirement from competitive swimming in February, but he was in no doubt the multiple world and Olympic champion would give his best in Shanghai even though his eyes were firmly fixed on London.
"He will want to do well (in Shanghai) and I am sure he will...(but) I know the one meet he will be ready for will be London," Peirsol said.
"He is on a different schedule and... you can't worry about Michael, he will take care of business."
The 28-year-old Peirsol, who won five Olympic gold medals and spent a decade as the sport's premier backstroker, said the drive to swim competitively had gone for him and he would not be returning to the pool.
"It's always right now. It's always a year out from the Olympics people come back," he added. "(But) I made sure that when I moved on, I had no questions or doubts and it's the last thing that keeps me up at night.
"I can sit up here and enjoy it and not feel like I belong down there (on the pool deck).
"I feel like I did that. There are other things in my life that I want to do and you have to move on at some point."
Peirsol said he still kept busy, traveling and working with several of his sponsors.
He was also planning to begin postgraduate study at university later this year, and while he was still looking for a future direction beyond that, he was quite happy to keep "decompressing" after more than 10 years of competition.
"I am in no hurry to find what it is that I want to devote as much time into that I devoted to swimming," he said.
"I really don't need that right now. I am staying busy, doing what I don't know but that's really what I need right now. I'm really learning how to live without swimming."
(Writing by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by John O'Brien)
-
Aaron Wells Peirsol (born July 23, 1983) is a former American swimmer who specialized in the... Read Full Story » -
Aaron Wells Peirsol (born July 23, 1983) is a former American swimmer who specialized in the... Read Full Story »
