By PAUL NEWBERRY 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.
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 exclusive 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.
The glass pipes are generally used to smoke cannabis.
And after sporting chiefs announced laws which mean four-year bans for
drug-taking, Phelps’ dreams of adding to his overall 14 gold medal tally at
the 2012 games in London could already be OVER.
Newsoftheworld
