Michael Phelps Honors Olympic Swim Coach Jon Urbanchek After His Loss of life

Michael Phelps is celebrating the lifetime of his swim coach Jon Urbanchek, who died on Might 9 at age 87.

On Saturday, Might 11, the Olympic gold medalist shared a put up on Instagram to pay tribute to the late Olympic and collegiate swim coach.

“I am past grateful for the time I acquired to spend with [Urbanchek],” Phelps, 38, started his heartfelt caption.

“I can nonetheless hear him saying ‘preserve it shifting,’ ‘ey , _____ MOVE IT!'” the daddy of 4 continued, seemingly referring to Urbanchek playfully calling him names throughout coaching. “Occupied with what he taught me out and in of the pool… probably the most influential ppl I’ve had in my life…this man is a legend and actually one in all one!”

Within the put up, Phelps shared photographs of Urbanchek holding his now 8-year-old son, Boomer, as a child, and posing with him, spouse Nicole Phelps, their household and a few fellow coaches. He additionally included some selfies of himself and Urbanchek having fun with dinner and spending time collectively.

“RIP buddy…. ❤️❤️,” the 28-time Olympic medalist concluded his caption.

In keeping with a press launch from the College of Michigan’s athletic division — the place Urbanchek was a former scholar, in addition to a longtime males’s swimming and diving coach — Urbanchek died at his house in Fullerton, Calif.

The late coach, who immigrated from Hungary after the 1956 Soviet invasion, swam for Michigan and later turned a coach on the Ann Arbor-based college after his commencement, aiding then-head coach Bob Bowman — who coached Phelps throughout lots of his Olympic appearances and all through his celebrated skilled profession.

Urbanchek served as a Group USA coach on the Olympics in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004, and acted as a particular coach in 2008 and 2012. He additionally coached “a lot of World Championship, Pan American Video games and different U.S. Worldwide Groups,” the college wrote.

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“All informed, Urbanchek coached 44 Olympians to greater than 20 medals, together with 11 gold, six silver and 4 bronze medals in 5 general Olympic Video games, counting 4 world file holders amongst his teaching achievements,” the college added.

A number of different main figures within the Olympic swimming world spoke out after Urbanchek’s loss of life to replicate on his storied profession, together with seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky.

“It’s arduous to specific how a lot Jon Urbanchek has meant to me since I first met him in 2012,” Ledecky, 27, wrote within the College of Michigan’s press launch. “He was my coach on the 2012 Olympic workforce and he has been a coach, a mentor and a good friend since then. I discovered a lot from him.”

“He was a form and devoted coach who by no means forgot his swimmers. I’ll always remember his dedication to our sport, his humor, his teaching fashion and his love for Group U.S.A,” she continued of Urbanchek. “He was a coach of coaches. I do know that each one of my coaches discovered one thing from him. I’m so fortunate to have had him as part of my workforce…he by no means stopped teaching and inspiring me.”