Michael Phelps is the King of the Pool on top of the Mountain of Swimming. Or something. Whatever. Phelps already has to deal with fierce competition from rival – slash – teammate, Ryan Lochte in the pool. Now he’s got a youngin’ talk trash about him. That young fellow’s name is Tyler Clary and he says the man who owns more gold medals than anyone else in history doesn’t work hard enough. From The Press-Enterprise:

“I saw a real lack of preparation (from) him,” Clary said during an interview at the pool here where he trains.

“Basically, he was a swimmer that didn’t want to be there,” Clary said of Phelps. “They can talk about all of these goals and plans and preparation they have. I saw it. I know. It’s different. And I saw somebody that has basically been asking to get beat for the longest time.”

Asking to get beat, but nobody will take him up on the offer.

“The fact that he doesn’t have to work as hard to get that done, it’s a real shame,” Clary said. “I think it’s too bad. You see that all too often, where you get athletes that are incredibly talented that really take it for granted. I think the things he could have done if he’d worked as hard as I do would have been even more incredible than what he has pulled off.”

What would Clary like Phelps to do? Go back to previous Olympics, enter swimming events that don’t exist and break his own records? Even if he did, Phelps still isn’t trying hard!

“I’ve always called myself more of a blue-collar worker, as far as swimming goes,” Clary said. “I work my (butt) off all the time. That’s not to say that everybody else doesn’t. But the fact that I know I work harder than he does makes me appreciate every little goal and every little gain that I make.

Well Clary, you’ll have your opportunity to work harder in the pool during the Olympics. If he beats Phelps, yay! Hard work wins! If Phelps wins again (and again and again…) then oh well. Natural ability rules and Clary is the plucky underdog who never won.

[The Press-Enterprise, Getty]

Previously: Michael Phelps Drops the 200M Freestyle After Barely Beating Ryan Lochte at the U.S. Olympic Trials