Michael Phelps and Alison Schmitt gush over a picture from their swimming careers as they go down the memory lane

Michael Phelps and fellow Olympian Alison Schmitt share an adorable throwback moment from the 2021 Tokyo Olympic trials. Though Phelps wasn't part of that Olympiad, he embraced his long-time friend Schmitt when she qualified for the finals for the fourth time.

Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympian of all time with 28 medals adorned on his wall of fame, is known for his advocacy beyond swimming. He struggled with mental health issues since 2004 and settled for therapy at an in-patient treatment center in 2014. Since then, he has healed himself and extended aid to his friends, including Allison Schmitt.

Schmitt, 33, won five medals at the 2012 London Olympics. This included three golds in the 200m freestyle (Olympic record), the 4×200m freestyle relay, and the 4×100m medley relay (new World record).

In 2015, Schmitt traveled to watch a women's hockey match of her twin sisters. The depression hit her then. Soon after, when she competed in a Grand Prix event, Michael Phelps noticed that her friend's attitude didn't seem normal. The latter approached her to provide any help she needed.

Schmitt picked a moment of her hugging Phelps after qualifying at the 2021 Olympic trials in Omaha and shared it on her Instagram stories. In response, Michael Phelps reshared the story with a pair of loved-up emojis.

Schmitt's story read:

"LOOK @ THIS THROWBACK I JUST FOUND @M_PHELPS00"

Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt

From the hug in the picture, it looked like they both connected on a deeper level, which goes beyond swimming.

Michael Phelps: "Allison Schmitt's like my little sister"

Michael Phelps at the Phoenix Open

Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt were part of three Olympiads together (2008, 2012, 2016). Before their 2016 Rio Olympics stint, both of them sat in a candid conversation with NBC in 2015, where the Olympic told NBC how Schmitt was like his little sister and has been a confidante in highs and lows.

"Allison’s like my little sister and I love her to death. We’re in this together. We’re both going through the same thing, and we’re there supportive of each other through it all," the swimming legend said as quoted by Swimming World.

To this, Schmitt had replied:

"He’s seen a lot of tears."

Michael Phelps conceded the adorable moment shedding light on how he had seen both happy and sad times his sister went through.

"I’ve seen a lot of tears, but I’ve seen a lot of smiles. A lot more smiles than tears.”

Phelps and Schmitt ended up winning a combined eight medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The former won six medals while the latter won two.