Michael Phelps officially walked away from swimming after the 2012 London Olympics claiming he'd never return. Now, new reports suggest the greatest swimmer in the world is thinking of making a comeback.
Phelps has consistently told reporters couldn't be happier with retired life and didn't miss the training it took to become the most decorated Olympian of all time.
In Barelona for the world swimming championships, Phelps avoided questions of a possible return to Rio for 2016.
"I don't know what's going to happen in the future," Phelps told reporters on Monday. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."
The comment is total 180 from his comment immediately following the London Games, when he insisted his retirement was set in stone. He said it was always his goal to quit swimming before he turned 30.
"I don't know. We're in 2013," Phelps said. "There's nothing in the works right now."
The athlete will be 31 once the games kick off in Brazil. Maybe 22 Olympic medals are not enough for him.
According to ESPN, if Phelps wants to make a comeback he would have to begin training before the year is over, which is not impossible, though there has been one setback. The Boston Globe reported, Phelps recently jammed the small toe of his right foot on the edge of a sofa while home in Baltimore. He aggravated the injury when he played in a golf tournament at Lake Tahoe. He was spotted by reporters wearing a boot cast on his foot during the interviews.
"I have no plans to do anything," Phelps said. "I love what I'm doing now. I'm able to travel so much, play golf. I'm on my own schedule. I've never been able to have that. I've never been able to do really whatever I want to do. I go wherever I want to go. I see whatever I want to see.
Phelps said he does not do much besides be lazy and play golf.
Phelps does have some projects in the works, including a series of swimming schools and a foundation devoted to water safety. But he said he's still trying to sort out his life, one, five and 10 years some now.
"I'm still in the process of putting everything down on paper," Phelps said.
