The Colorado Springs Athletic Center will be closed to foreigners in 2028 to protect Americans at the Olympic Games
Michael Phelps disagrees with the decision
The US Olympic Committee will no longer allow foreign swimmers to use the Colorado Springs Athletic Center, but only in 2028, to protect the interests of American swimmers ahead of the Olympics.
CEO Kevin Ring revealed that there is a rule prohibiting foreign swimmers from entering the high-performance center starting in 2028.
This is due to several reports and complaints received by USA Swimming, highlighting how US coaches are working with foreign swimmers to beat Americans on their home turf, at their own Olympics.
In 2029, after the California Olympics, the doors of the athletic center are expected to reopen to foreigners, but with much higher rates than the current ones ($125/night).
Michael Phelps, who had previously criticized the US Swimming Federation along with Ryan Lochte, has also intervened in the matter.
During the World Championships in Singapore: "What are our real goals? I grew up training with all athletes, including foreigners. We've never discriminated against anyone in our team."
Phelps was coached by Bob Bowman (who recently completed a 24-day training camp with his team, composed primarily of foreign swimmers), and therefore defends his mentor and the team's philosophy.
USA Swimming also emphasized that other high-performance sports centers (such as the one in Flagstaff, Arizona) will have no difficulty hosting training camps for foreign national teams who request them.
The issue of foreign swimmers in the US is becoming very sensitive in light of America's dominance, which has significantly weakened in recent years (recall when in Omaha, during the 2008 and 2012 trials, Dave Salo secretly coached Japan's Kitajima, at different times than the American swimmers on his team).
Is the "America first" philosophy a new form of protectionism in swimming too?
Meanwhile, foreign athletes help colleges win and make money in the NCAA system.
Colorado Springs's view, therefore, seems hypocritical, opportunistic, and arrogant.
from an Italian Swimming blog, related to a Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper's journalist