Singapore (AFP) - The United States preferred to do their talking in the pool on Saturday after Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps took a swipe at the team’s performance at the world championships in Singapore.

The US team has said that an “overwhelming majority” of the squad were struck down by acute gastroenteritis at a pre-championships camp in Thailand.

With expectations sky-high back home and Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics, that triggered accusations of poor management in some quarters.

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Ryan Lochte on Friday shared an image on Instagram depicting a funeral that featured a tombstone inscribed: “In loving memory of United States Swimming.”

“They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it,” the inscription says, Lochte adding the caption: “Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We’ve got 3 years.”

Phelps, who counts a stunning 23 gold among his 28 Olympic medals, shared Lochte’s post, adding: “Is this the wake-up call USA swimming needed?”

In Singapore, which the US team sees as a launchpad for the home 2028 Olympics, a United States team official shut down questions about the post as double Olympic champion Bobby Finke comfortably qualified for the 1,500m freestyle final,

He was fifth-fastest in 14min 45.70sec, with Germany’s Florian Wellbrock quickest in 14:44.81.

“I always enjoy coming back and racing against the best in the world,” said Finke, asked about the constant noise surrounding the American swimmers.

A US team featuring Friday gold medallist Kate Douglass topped the heats in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay with a time of 3:21.48, edging out France, who were 2.73sec behind.

Also in Saturday’s morning heats, Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh qualified for the 50m freestyle semi-finals 13th- and 14th-fastest respectively.

Both were among the swimmers from the US squad who fell ill.

“I feel pretty good, just a little rocky maybe,” said Walsh, who won 100m butterfly gold this week despite feeling “fragile”.

“I’m feeling almost 100 percent better. I definitely think that what I went through took something out of me,” she told AFP.

Walsh said she was not aware of the excoriating posts by Phelps and Lochte.

Australia’s 50m Olympic silver medallist Meg Harris fired a warning as she powered into the 50m semi-finals with the fastest time in 24.32sec.

Huske, who took bronze in the 100m free on Friday, clocked 24.72 and Walsh 24.79.

Lilly King, a two-time former world champion, cruised into the semi-finals of the 50m breaststroke.

Despite the criticism, the United States top the medals table in Singapore ahead of the conclusion of the competition on Sunday.

They have five golds and 20 medals overall.

Katie Ledecky will be hoping to add to that haul later Saturday when she faces off against Canadian phenomenon Summer McIntosh in the eagerly anticipated final of the 800m freestyle.