Turkey enlists Michael Phelps' coach for Olympics

ANKARA, Turkey - The Associated Press

Bob Bowman guided Phelps to a record 18 golds and 22 medals overall at the Olympics. AA photo

Turkey has signed Michael Phelps' coach as a consultant on their swimming program for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2020 Games that Istanbul hope to host.

Bob Bowman, who guided Phelps to a record 18 golds and 22 medals overall at the Olympics, will help select swimmers and advise the Turkish Swimming Federation on strategies to develop competitors, Turkey's Youth and Sports Ministry said on Tuesday.

The appointment is part of a Turkish policy to develop athletes in swimming and other major Olympic events.

It came after Turkish mobile phone company Turkcell agreed to sponsor swimming and athletics.
 
Bowman's first task will be to select swimmers with potential among some 200,000 youths, a ministry official said.

No Turkish swimmer has won an Olympic medal.