Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps announces death of his father, Fred

Phelps’ parents got divorced when he was young, which resulted in a strained relationship between him and his father. Many fans took note of the fact that Fred was not at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 when Michael was dominating in the pool. According to a 2016 article in Sports Illustrated, the two began to repair their relationship after Michael checked in to rehab following his second DUI arrest in 2014.

Fred, a former Maryland state trooper, played college football at Fairmont State College in West Virginia. He tried out for Washington in the 1970s.