Michael Phelps Doubts Four Sons Will Swim Competitively: ‘I’m Happy With Them Doing What They Want’

SCOTTSDALE — Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic swimmer in history, but he doesn’t think any of his sons will follow him into the pool.

Phelps, who retired after the 2016 Rio Olympics with a record 23 Olympic gold medals, has four sons between the ages of 1 and 8, and said the three eldest have gravitated toward soccer, flag football and baseball.

“They know how to swim, but I don’t think they’re going to swim like I did,” Phelps told SportsCasting in an exclusive interview from the WM Phoenix Open, where he was playing golf in the Pro-Am event.

Phelps captured a combined 28 medals in four Olympic games — 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro — which blew past U.S.S.R. gymnast Larisa Latynina (18 medals) for the most in history,

But he is completely fine with it if his sons Boomer, 8, Beckett, 6, Maverick, 4 and Nico, who just turned 1, choose different paths.

“I’m happy with them doing what they want,” Phelps said. “My mom let me do what I wanted to do, and I just fell in love with the sport naturally. Hopefully these boys can do the same thing naturally, wherever their heart leads them. It’ll be fun to watch.”

Phelps said he has gotten great joy out of being a dad, watching his boys grow and rooting for them in their non-swimming athletic endeavors.

“It’s crazy to see how four of them can be so different,” Phelps said. “And it’s amazing how fast they grow up. It’s overnight. Being able to see the transitions, like right now watching them compete, that’s so fun for me. Score a goal, catch a touchdown pass, the excitement they have when doing those things is truly incredible. As a dad it’s fun to watch. It’s a cool stage of life.”

Phelps hopes to help guide his children to success, but is not intent on any of them following in his footsteps. Or in this case, swim strokes.

“I’m going to push them to be their best, whatever that looks like,” Phelps said.