Michael Phelps’ estranged father Fred tells the New York Post that he has not had a single conversation with his Olympian son since Michael left for Beijing.

“He’s so busy, I’m sure not even his agent can get a hold of him,” Fred recently told the Post outside his suburban Baltimore home.

Of his eight medals, Fred said, “I’m very proud of him and all he’s done. This is not about me, it’s about him.” He added that he “watched [Michael] every night on TV” last week.

The retired Maryland state trooper has been in and out his son’s life ever since he divorced Michael’s mother Debbie in 1992 when Michael was 9. The same year, the swimmer was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

After the divorce, it was Michael’s mom who drove him to swim practice each day. (Michael has never publicly acknowledged his father as having any role in his success.)

“The bullying and adversity made him be stronger and work harder,” mom Debbie tells Us Weekly exclusively in its new issue, on newsstands now.

On Friday, it was announced that Phelps will detail his life being raised by his single mother in his memoir, Built to Succeed, due in December.

(source)

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