Michael Phelps, the Rodgers Forge native who has won more gold medals than anyone in Olympic history, acknowledged yesterday that he had engaged in "regrettable" behavior and shown "bad judgment" after a photo of him smoking what appears to be marijuana from a glass bong was published in a British tabloid over the weekend.
Marijuana is classified by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which oversees Olympic and international drug testing, as a banned "in-competition" substance, meaning Phelps is unlikely to face punishment or suspension. Marketing experts said the incident should have minimal effect on Phelps' multimillion-dollar sponsorships because of yesterday's quick apology.
"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said in a statement released by Octagon, his management firm, and posted on his Facebook site. "I'm 23 years old, and despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public - it will not happen again."
The photo in the News of the World tabloid of Phelps - who won eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing - shows him with his hat on backward, holding the bong to his mouth with his right hand while lighting it with his left. The tabloid says it was snapped at a party at the University of South Carolina in November. Phelps attended a Gamecocks football game against Arkansas in November and received a standing ovation from the crowd at halftime.
Phelps has never failed a drug test during his career and was one of several American athletes who volunteered to undergo additional testing to dispel any suggestions he might be benefiting from performance-enhancing drugs.
"We'll evaluate whether he remains in that program," said Travis Tygart, head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Marijuana, though not considered performance-enhancing, was added to the International Olympic Committee's list of banned substances after the 1998 Olympics. Its use among Olympic athletes became a matter of public debate after Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati tested positive after winning a gold medal in Nagano, Japan, in 1998. Rebagliati was initially stripped of his medal but in the end kept it because marijuana was, at the time, not on the list.
