MICHAEL PHELPS RED-FACED OVER POT

'I am sorry,' Olympic swimmer Phelps says after U.K. tabloid
publishes photo of him smoking dope

Paul Newberry THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TAMPA, Fla.-Olympic great Michael Phelps acknowledged "regrettable"
behaviour and "bad judgment" after a photo in a British newspaper
yesterday showed him inhaling from a marijuana pipe.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the swimmer, who won a record
eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, did not dispute the
authenticity of the picture published by the tabloid News of the World.

"I engaged in behaviour which was regrettable and demonstrated bad
judgment," he said in the statement released by one of his agents.
"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."

News of the World said the picture was taken during a November house
party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina.
During that trip, he attended one of the school's football games.

While the newspaper did not specifically allege he was smoking pot,
it did say the pipe is generally used for that purpose and
anonymously quoted a partygoer who said the Olympic champion was "out
of control from the moment he got there."

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it was "disappointed in the behaviour
recently exhibited by Michael Phelps," who was selected the group's
sportsman of the year.

"Michael is a role model, and he is well aware of the
responsibilities and accountability that come with setting a positive
example for others, particularly young people," the USOC said in a
statement. "In this instance, regrettably, he failed to fulfill those
responsibilities."

The party occurred nearly three months after the Olympics while
Phelps was taking a long break from training, and would have no
impact on the eight golds he won at Beijing. He has never tested
positive for banned substances.

Marijuana is viewed differently from performance-enhancing drugs,
according to David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping
Agency. An athlete is subject to sanctions only for a positive test
during competition.

During the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati
was stripped of his gold medal in the giant slalom after testing
positive for marijuana. The victory was reinstated because the
sport's governing body did not have a rule banning the substance.

Phelps returned to the pool a couple of weeks ago to prepare for this
summer's world championships in Rome.

His coach Bob Bowman issued a terse statement through Phelps' agent.
"He regrets his behaviour, and I'm sure he'll learn from this
experience," he said. "I'm glad to have him back in training."