PHELPS: BEHAVIOR IN COLUMBIA REGRETTABLE

Olympic great Michael Phelps acknowledged "regrettable" behavior and
"bad judgment" after a photo in a British newspaper Sunday showed him
inhaling from a marijuana pipe at a house party in Columbia in
November. 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 Sunday by the tabloid News of
the World. "I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and
demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps 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 party
while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina. During
that trip, he attended one of the school's football games and received
a big ovation when introduced to the crowd.

While the British newspaper did not specifically allege Phelps 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 party occurred
nearly three months after the Olympics while Phelps was taking a long
break from training, and his actions should have no impact on the
eight golds he won in Beijing. He has never tested positive for banned
substances. The case is unlikely to fall under any doping rules.
Phelps' main sanctions most likely will be financial - perhaps doled
out by embarrassed sponsors who might be reconsidering their dealings
with the swimmer. Phelps was in Tampa, Fla., during Super Bowl week to
make promotional appearances on behalf of a sponsor.

But he left the city before Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh
Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, abandoning his original plan to be at
Raymond James Stadium.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it was "disappointed in the behavior
recently exhibited by Michael Phelps," who was selected the group's
sportsman of the year. He also was honored as AP male athlete of the
year, and his feat in Beijing - breaking Mark Spitz's 36-year-old
record for most gold medals in an Olympics - was chosen as the top
story of 2008. "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." Phelps was part of a group of elite athletes who
agreed to take part in a pilot testing program designed to increase
the accuracy of doping tests.

His spot in the program could be at risk, said Travis Tygart, head of
the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

"For one of the Olympics' biggest heroes it's disappointing, and we'll
evaluate whether he remains in that program," Tygart said. "But some
good education comes from this because he's going to suffer some
penalties." Marijuana is viewed differently from performance-enhancing
drugs, according to David Howman, executive director of the World
Anti-Doping Agency. An athlete is subject to WADA sanctions only for a
positive test that occurs during competition periods.

This isn't the first embarrassing episode for Phelps after an Olympic
triumph. In 2004, a few months removed from winning six gold and two
bronze medals in Athens, Greece, the swimmer was arrested on a drunken
driving charge at age 19. He pleaded guilty and apologized.

Olympic teammate Dara Torres said Phelps has become such a prominent
figure that everything he does is news. However, she said: "This in no
way, shape or form diminishes anything he's done." "It's sort of a
double-edged sword," Torres told the AP on Sunday. "When you're
recognizable, you're looked up to as a role model.

He is recognizable, and everything you do gets looked at and picked
apart.

I guess that's the price of winning 14 Olympic medals."