Michael Phelps is in trouble -
again. And this time, it is a far cry from his drunk driving charge. The
British tabloid News of the World splashed a huge picture of the record
breaking swimmer, who won eight golds at the Beijing Olympics, smoking
marijuna from a bong, a tube like device used to inhale drugs. His fall
from grace was immediate.
In a statement released to The Associated Press, the swimmer, who has
a record of 14 olympic golds to his credit, did not dispute the
authenticity of the exclusive picture taken at a party at the University
of North Carolina in November.
 “I
am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.” I
engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgement,”
Phelps said.
“I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I
acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have
come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the
public it will not happen again.”
Youthful and inappropriate? Smoking marijuana is illegal in the
United States and most other countries. It is not `youthful’ to smoke
marijuana, knowing very well that you have a huge fanbase. The media has
turned him into a role model, so millions of youngesters throughout the
world looked up to Phelps, 23, for inspiration. But Phelps disappointed
them all.
Kellogs, the cereal maker dumped him from a lucrative endorsement
contract and USA Swimming suspended him. Questions are already being
asked whether he could compete in the 2012 London Olympics. Police are
trying to arrest all those who smoked marijuana on that day, even though
legal experts are divided on the issue of whether such `retrospective’
arrests can be made in a case of this nature.
Some companies are keeping him as a brand ambassador, albeit with
certain conditions. Mazda, which signed Phelps to promote its cars in
China, asked him to apologise to the Chinese people via the web and TV.
He did. Phelps is also voluntarily keeping away from speaking
assignments and public appearances - just last week he cancelled a
lecture at an IBM event.
FACT BOX
Michael Fred Phelps (born June
30, 1985) is an American, swimmer. He has won 14 career Olympic gold
medals, the most by any Olympian. By the end of 2008, he held seven
world records in swimming.
Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals at a single
Olympics, his eight at the 2008 Beijing Games surpassing American
swimmer Mark Spitz’s seven gold performance at Munich in 1972.
Overall, Phelps has won 16 Olympic medals: six gold and two bronze at
Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008. In doing so he has
twice equaled the record eight medals of any type at a single Olympics
achieved by Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Summer
Games.
His five golds in individual events tied the single Games record set
by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo
at the 1992 Summer Games. Phelps career Olympic medal total is second
only to the 18 Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina won over three Olympics,
including nine golds.
-Chris
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