While Michael Phelps won't dip his feet into the rumor mill about a possible swimming comeback at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, he dove into the water with his old coach Bob Bowman and has been training with him to get back in shape.
According to the Associated Press, Bowman said that Phelps has been taking part in training exercises with the North Baltimore Aquatic Club but has not yet committed to the grueling program that he would need in order to return to active competition.
"He is occasionally training with the group to get back in shape," Bowman wrote in a text to AP.
Phelps has been adamant that the 2012 games were his last and has recently told WCHS news that he's retired and loving his life away from the pool and the rigorous workouts and competitions, all the while doing his best to snuff out any talks that flare up about a possible comeback in 2016.
"I've said nothing about a comeback," Phelps told the news station. "I have said nothing about a comeback. It's everybody else opening their mouths and saying comments that they think I'm going to do or think that I said. I've never said anything publicly."
Phelps added: "I'm retired. I love it. It's fun."
Phelps sat down for an interview to talk about his enjoyment of retirement life with WCHS recently:
Phelps has been enjoying his time off, working on the Michael Phelps Training Center and even recently taking in a preseason NBA game in China. Phelps has opened up a foundation devoted to swim safety and a chain of swimming schools. He's also gotten into golf, as most retired people do, though he admits it's been a little frustrating.
"It's probably the most humbling thing I've ever done, the most humbling sport I've ever done, the toughest thing I've ever done," Phelps told the Associated Press
After adamantly walking away from the game in 2012, his approach was a little less definite over the summer when he was asked about a potential comeback.
"I don't know what's going to happen in the future. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow," he told the Associated Press back in July.
When asked a direct yes or no question about his plans to return, he remained coy.
"I don't know. We're in 2013," Phelps told AP. "There's nothing in the works right now."
Phelps, 28, had been committed to retiring before age 30, and did so in 2012 while being honored after his final event at the London Games. Phelps has a record 18 gold medals which adds to his 22 Olympic medals overall, and by the time the 2016 games roll around he'll be 31.
While swimming fans clamor for the day that Phelps returns to the pool, the most decorated Olympian of all time hasn't committed to a comeback, but the fact that he's training leaves some hope that he may compete when 2016 rolls around, but for now Phelps is giving no inclination of a comeback.
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