Michael Phelps announces Death of His Father, Fred Phelps

Michael Phelps, the 23-time Olympic gold medal swimmer, announced on Instagram that his father has died.

Phelps, 37, shared several throwback photos on Monday, Oct. 24, of himself with his dad over the years, writing in the comments, "You’ll always be my dad… And I’ll always be your son… Love you dad and I will miss you" — punctuated with a couple of heart emoji — "rip dad."

Fellow Olympian Lindsey Vonn left well wishes in the comments, writing, "Im so sorry for your loss. He will always be there 🙏🏻💔"

The photos provide a sweet backdrop to Michael and Fred Phelps' relationship, which evolved over the years. One image shows the senior Phelps holding what is likely one of his grandsons (Michael and wife Nicole have three boys together, Boomer, 6; Beckett, 4 and Maverick, 3).

Another image features Michael holding one of his children as a fascinated Fred looks on.

The main image in the Instagram carousel shows a young Michael Phelps with his dad, who's wearing his Maryland state trooper uniform.

Fred Phelps and his son had a strained relationship for many years, according to an article in Sports Illustrated, following his 1994 divorce from Debbie Phelps when Michael was 9. But they kept in touch over the years via text, and in 2014, as the swimmer entered rehab following an arrest on a charge of drunken driving, his father visited him and they began to click again.

In 2016, the younger Phelps told Sports Illustrated: "Our relationship is really great, and it’s continuing to grow. We’ve learned that we have a lot in common."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com