INDIANAPOLIS—When Bob Bowman was coaching the world’s greatest swimmer, he’d be the first to concede he was not a very nice person at the pool.
Screaming, berating and belittling were an accepted part of the package.
Given that Michael Phelps won 23 Olympic gold medals, Bowman had little reason to question his over-the-top techniques.
Then, Phelps retired.
And Bowman took a good, long look at himself in the mirror.
He didn’t like what he saw.
“The toll it took on me. It was exhausting,” said Bowman, a bit of regret in his voice. “And it’s just not good practice.”…