Michael Phelps admits to smoking cannabis after bong picture is published
Phelps's career could lie in ruins after being pictured in the News of the World allegedly taking drugs
Michael Phelps has admitted to smoking cannabis and apologised after a picture of the record-breaking Olympian with a bong pipe was published in a British tabloid today.
The swimmer, who won eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, conceded the authenticity of the picture published by the News of the World.
“I engaged in behaviour which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. 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,” Phelps said in a statement.
Phelps’s career may now be tarnished beyond repair. Athletes caught using cannabis, a banned substance under rules set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency, face a ban of up to two years.
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Phelps has never failed a drugs test and even offered to take extra tests before the Olympic Games in August to promote an anti-doping campaign.
So far, the authorities have no grounds for taking action and, even if ordered to take a new test, Phelps could still be shown to be drug-free because the alleged offence was said to have taken place in November.
The picture of Phelps, his baseball cap worn back to front, using a lighter to send smoke along his glass bong, emerged after a student party where the 6ft 4in swimmer was also claimed to have been drinking heavily, in stark contrast to his Olympic mantra, which was to swim, eat, sleep and swim again.
Phelps could claim that the drug has no performance-enhancing effects, which might allow the authorities to let him off with a reprimand. But such a high-profile case is bound to stir up controversy and the swimmer could find himself being made an example of to the rest of the sporting fraternity.
Marketing experts are predicting massive fallout and a quick exit by sponsors who could put an end to Phelps’s dream of cashing in on his Olympic exploits to the tune of $100 million (£68.5 million).
“If this is all true, it will be nothing short of a disaster,” John Taylor, chairman of Sports Impact, one of Britain’s leading sponsorship agencies, said. “Every sponsor has something called a disrepute clause written into their contracts and I will bet a few of them will be running through the small print first thing on Monday morning.
“Big corporate sponsors are very sensitive about any issues involving drugs, particularly if their product is bought by, or directed, at children. You cannot have any doubts about the personality you employ to promote your products.
“Sportsmen and women are naive to think that things like this will not come out and, when it does, it has a massive impact. Phelps was the hero of Beijing and a massive star in the United States. But what happens when America discovers their hero is tarnished? He may not be taking performance-enhancing drugs but this is a terrible stain on his image.”
Phelps returned from Beijing a marketing man’s dream and sponsors rushed to sign him up with his management team at the Octagon agency claiming they were fending off as many as 50 offers daily.
Phelps, 23, earns at a conservative estimate up to £5 million a year from deals with ten major companies, including Hilton Hotels, Omega watches, Kellogg’s cereals and Speedo swimwear. Speedo paid Phelps a $1 million bonus for winning his eight golds in Beijing.
Although best known in the United States, his appeal has been spreading around the world. Only last month, he signed the biggest deal for a Western personality in China when he became the face of Mazda cars.
The Phelps case has a parallel in Britain where Matt Stevens, the Bath and England rugby union prop forward, faces a two-year ban for taking cocaine.
Phelps has been in trouble before: in 2004, he was sentenced to 18 months’ probation for drunk driving.
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