Joseph Schooling shares about relationship with idol-turned-friend Michael Phelps: "He's very willing to help out"

There's no secret Joseph Schooling is considering his future in swimming.

Singapore's only Olympic champion has openly discussed his doubts over going to the next Olympic Games at Paris 2024 as other commitments, including compulsory military service.

However, if and when he's ready to finally call it a day and hang up the goggles, there's one man he can definitely turn to to advice – Michael Phelps, the most-medalled Olympian ever, who has gone from being an idol to a friend.

Schooling beat Phelps in the latter's last individual Olympic race, the men's 100m butterfly final at Rio 2016. However, since then, Schooling has not quite reached the same heights, being knocked out in the heats at both the 2019 World Championships and at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

With his career winding down, the Singaporean recently told Olympics.com at the South-East Asian Games (SEA Games) in Hanoi that Phelps has always provided a listening ear – although the two have not spoken specifically about what it's like to retire from swimming.

"Not about retirement, no," Schooling said. "Michael's doing his own thing, mostly on Instagram, I suppose. I've got his number […] If there is any question, I'd be comfortable going to Michael."

Joseph Schooling and Michael Phelps: idol to competitors to friends

Schooling first met Phelps back in 2008 when the American stopped in Singapore for a training camp en route to Beijing 2008, where he truly broke into the global consciousness with eight gold medals.

A photo of the young Schooling with Phelps would go viral eight years later after the former bested his childhood idol in the pool Brazil.

With Phelps retiring after those Olympic Games, he and Schooling have progressed into a friendship, with the American often commenting on Schooling's Instagram posts, including sending a message of condolence after Schooling lost his father in 2021.

Schooling acknowledged that his special relationship with Phelps means he can go to the American for almost anything.

"But at the same time, you know, we haven't spoken about retirement; we haven't spoken about the next chapter," he said.

"Overall, Michael's the guy. If I have a question, I'd be very comfortable going to him. He's always very open and always very willing to give his input and help out as much as possible."

As well as being able to turn to Phelps for advice, Schooling pointed to a strong core around him back home when it comes to planning the rest of his competitive future.

"I think at the same time, we've got a lot of good people in Singapore around me as well that I can have those talks with, you know?"

Changes in Joseph Schooling's life and career

Since 2016, Schooling has had to deal with a number of setbacks and changes.

He graduated from the University of Texas, where he was an All-American for the Longhorns, in 2018.

That meant he no longer trained with his college coaches, turning professional and returning home to Singapore to train under the national swimming association.

In 2019, Schooling produced some of the slowest times of his senior career, leading him to reconsider his coaching choices.

While he won barely gold at that year's SEA Games, his performances led him to return to his high-school coach Sergio López.

The pandemic then delayed the Tokyo Games to 2021, setting Schooling back as he failed to make it out of the heats in Japan.

After Tokyo, Singapore's Ministry of Defence declined to extend a deferment granted to Schooling of his compulsory military service, which he had received to train for both Rio and Tokyo.

Singaporean males normally enlist for two years of national service at age 18 or 19. Now, Schooling would do his service, aged 26.

He also lost his father to cancer at the end of November 2021, in a major upheaval in his personal life. The loss was also widely felt in Singapore, with his parents being nearly just as well known in Singapore as Schooling himself.

Understandably, all this upheaval has contributed towards Schooling's doubts over his future.

So what is the future for Joseph Schooling?

Joseph Schooling's future plans

Schooling, who has won 29 gold medals at the regional SEA Games in addition to three at the continental Asian Games and his Olympic title, has publicly said that juggling his military commitments with swimming training has been difficult.

Immediately after the SEA Games, Schooling called for public dialogue in Singapore over expectations for sportsmen who are also doing their national service, after some members of the public expressed disappointment in some of the team's performances.

However, that ongoing commitment to the military – coupled with his father's death and his mother, May, having to take on more duties – have put Schooling in the position of being close to announcing his retirement, a decision he said would come "sooner rather than later" in the same conversation with Olympics.com.

"We have to go back and do some national service; these are obligations that I need to fulfil," Schooling said of his immediate plans. "That's going to be my main priority, of course.

"Obviously, thinking about what I'm going to be doing for my next chapter, whether it's swimming in other Games… what Games are we going to swim at now that the Asian Games is pushed [back] as of right now?"

Schooling had targeted the SEA Games and Asian Games as his priorities for the season, opting to skip the World Championships and Commonwealth Games. However, with the Asian Games being postponed to 2023, even making it to Hangzhou is now in doubt.

"Or do we just say, look 23, 24 years in the sport has been great, I appreciate everything that it's given me and let's see what's next," Schooling mused. "I honestly don't know. I wish I could have had an answer. Trust me, that's something I've been thinking about.

"Hopefully in the near future I'll have a better clue of what that's going to be."