GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) – Michael Phelps received an abrupt reminder of how challenging his return to international competition may be when he was asked whether he was good enough to even reach a final at the Pan Pacific Championships starting Thursday.
Phelps, the 18-time Olympic gold medalist on the comeback trail from a short-lived retirement, took a deep breath before responding to the question on Wednesday and said: “Wow, you’re really setting the bar high for me!”
His long-time coach, Bob Bowman, chipped in: “Reality check there.”
Phelps qualified by finishing second in the 200-meter medley and the 100 butterfly at the U.S. nationals. The Pan Pacs is his first international meet since coming out of retirement four months ago, and a springboard for the 2015 world titles and 2016 Olympics.