Michael Phelps reacts as Luke Hobson breaks the oldest SCM World Record at the World Aquatic Championships

Michael Phelps congratulated Luke Hobson for breaking the oldest SCM (short course meters) world record in 1:38.91s to anchor the 4x200m relay team to victory at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships. Hobson also competed at the 2024 Paris Games, winning a gold and a silver medal.

Michael Phelps held long-course world records in the 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, 100-meter butterfly, and 400-meter individual medley. Etching his name as the most decorated Olympian with 23 gold medals at the Games, the American amassed 82 medals in long-course competitions across the Games, Worlds, and the Pan Pacific Championships.

Phelps drew a line to his storied career after winning five gold medals at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Eight years into retirement, the 39-year-old continues to be strongly connected to swimming.

On December 13, 2024, Luke Hobson swam in a time of 1:38.91s to help the 4x200m relay team to victory and also lower the oldest SCM World record held by Paul Biedermann since 2009. Hobson's monumental achievement at the 17th World Aquatic Championships garnered praise from Phelps, who took to share a picture of the winning moment and wrote:

"Let's gooooo @luke_.hobson !!"

Michael Phelps reacts to Luke Hobson's world record-breaking feat; Instagram - @m_phelps00

The University of Texas alum placed first in the 200m freestyle event at the 2024 US Olympic Swimming Team Trials, qualifying for the individual and 4x200m freestyle relay event at the Paris Games.

He earned silver with the men's U.S. 4×200m relay team and bronze in the 200m competition at the 2024 Summer Games.

Michael Phelps once lauded the next generation of swimmers for taking care of both mental and physical health

Michael Phelps at the Champions Park - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 11 - (Source: Getty)

Michael Phelps traveled to the French capital as a hospitality ambassador for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Watching and talking to the swimmers, made Phelps realize that the next generation of swimmers have more control over their mental and physical health, as said in an interview with NBC News on July 28, 2024.

"For me, a lot of them have taken that part of it in control for themselves, right? I think, you know, we've had a lot of additions to the mental health space from the USOC. So I think, you know, just from talking to the swimmers, I think it's really cool and really powerful that they're taking that on themselves and taking care of the mental and the physical health, right? So they can be the best version of themselves." (0:47)

Phelps won eight World Swimmer of the Year honors and eleven American Swimmer of the Year awards.