Michael Phelps's recent subtle dig at Team USA's swimming performance at the World Championships was echoed by former swimmer, Rowdy Gaines, as he penned a lengthy note supporting Phelps. This post garnered a two-word reaction from the legendary swimmer.The meme roasting Team USA's swimming performance was first shared by the former swimmer, Ryan Lochte. It carried a tombstone with the words, 'In loving memory of United States Swimming.' Along with this, the words, 'They set the bar high until they stopped reaching for it,' were also inscribed in it.This meme was later reshared by Phelps on his Instagram handle, with the caption, 'Is this the wake-up call USA swimming needed?' These comments received backlash online from a few swimmers, and amid this ongoing rift, Gaines stood up in support of Phelps by posting a lengthy explanation about the meme and how things are for the US team on his Instagram handle. He wrote:"Let’s be honest — when Michael Phelps speaks, the swimming world should listen. So when he posted a meme last week showing a tombstone for USA Swimming with the words, “Call it a funeral, or call it a fresh start. We’ve got 3 years,” that wasn’t for clicks. It was a message. A challenge. A wake-up call from the greatest swimmer…no, the greatest athlete in history. And I stand with him," wrote Gaines.Here is the full post: View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThis post captured the attention of Michael Phelps, who dropped a two-word reaction in the comment section, writing:"Well said @rowdygaines 🙏🏼"Phelps' comment on InstagramAlong with this, Phelps also reshared Gaines' post on his Instagram story and the following emoji in the caption:"🙏🏼"Phelps' Instagram storyTeam USA topped the medal table at the World Aquatics Championships with 29 total medals, including 9 gold ones. Notably, the performance of Team USA was marred due to an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis, which impacted almost the entire team while they were training.Michael Phelps issued a reply to Lilly King after she called him out for criticzing Team USAShortly after Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte shared their opinion about Team USA on social media amid the World Aquatics Championships, Lilly King took a jab at both of them over the same after Katie Ledecky won a gold medal in the 800m freestyle and Team USA broke Australia's 2023 world record in the mixed freestyle event.She penned a note on her Instagram story that read:"@mphelps00 @ryanlochte Y'all been real quiet tonight," wrote King.This story was uploaded by a swimming insider on their Instagram handle, which garnered a reply from Phelps, who issued a response, clarifying his stance in the comment section. He wrote:“We should be so proud of how the team swam as a whole …. Right? Apologies for having higher expectations for the leadership of the team. My opinions were way off. USAS has what they finally want, me to ‘stay in my lane.’ They will continue to help the kids reach childhood dreams by their continued support 😳” wrote Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps recently reacted to Summer McIntosh's note of gratitude after she joined him in the record of winning five medals in a single edition of the World Championships.