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By Georgina Dickinson, 01/02/2009
THIS is the astonishing picture which could destroy the career of the greatest competitor in Olympic history.
In our exclusive photo Michael Phelps, who won a record EIGHT gold medals for swimming at the Beijing games last summer, draws from a bong.
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.
GOLDEN BOY: Phelps at Beijing
Those dreams seemed the last thing on his mind when he puffed from the bong during two days of partying with students last November, a quiet time in the swimming calendar when athletes would not expect to get tested for drugs.
One party-goer who witnessed the star’s behaviour told the News of the World: “He was out of control from the moment he got there.
“If he continues to party like that I’d be amazed if he ever won any more medals again.”
Phelps’ aides went into a panic over our story and offered us a raft of extraordinary incentives not to run the bong picture.
It was on November 6, weeks after his Beijing triumph, that 23-year-old Phelps surprised students at the University Of South Carolina in Columbia by showing up unannounced at a house party.
He was visiting Jordan Matthews, a girl he was secretly seeing who was a student there.
Our source revealed: “Michael came to visit Jordan but ended up just getting wasted every night.
LEGEND: Swimming giant Phelps on cover of Sports Illustrated mag
“He arrived with a group of girls hanging all over him. Jaws hit the floor when he walked in. You don’t get many celebrities in Columbia, so when Phelps comes to your party it’s a very big deal.
Obnoxious
“He didn’t know many people so you’d think he’d be a little shy. But he was loud, obnoxious and slamming beers from the get-go.
“Every girl wanted a piece of him and every guy wanted to be his best buddy. He couldn’t get enough of all the attention.”
As he basked in his hero status, Phelps knocked back beers and shots of spirits. And when a student offered him the glass bong engraved with red writing, he did not hesitate, says our source.
The 6ft 4ins athlete, in a white T-shirt and navy cap worn back to front, clasped the device in his huge hands and inhaled deeply.
Our source said: “You could tell Michael had smoked before. He grabbed the bong and a lighter and knew exactly what to do.
“He looked just as natural with a bong in his hands as he does swimming in the pool. He was the gold medal winner of bong hits. Michael ended up getting a little paranoid, though, because before too long he looked like he was nervous and ran out of the place.”
BIT OF A SUCKER: Olympic ace Michael Phelps inhales from bong
Click here for a larger image of Michael Phelps smoking a cannabis pipe
But the next night, Phelps was out partying again. The source added: “He was right back at it at Pavlov’s bar.
“Like the night before he was holding court, throwing back shots two at a time and pouring drinks to every cute girl.”
Drink has got Phelps into trouble before. In 2004, aged 19, he got 18 months probation for driving while under the influence.
His wild behaviour is in stark contrast to the grim regime which took him to the top of his sport.
He once described his life, saying: “All you do is eat, sleep, swim; eat, sleep, swim; eat, sleep, swim.”
Last night Phelps’ management team and the sporting world closed ranks over the scandal.
Taint
The US Olympics Committee, who have pledged to clamp down on drug use, refused to comment, as did USA Swimming and Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman.
More surprising still was the World Anti-Doping Agency’s refusal to comment, given that they introduced the four-year ban on sport’s drug users.
Phelps, who earned £4million last year in endorsements, has resumed training for the 2012 games.
But there were fears about his commitment when, weeks after the bong incident, he began dating former stripper Caroline Pal.
Phelps is represented by marketing giant Octagon, which works with huge brands such as ********** and HSBC. They admitted proven cannabis use would be “a major taint” on Phelps’ character.
Spokesman Clifford Bloxham offered us an extraordinary deal not to publish our story, saying Phelps would become our columnist for three years, host events and get his sponsors to advertise with us.
In return, he asked that we kill Phelps’ bong picture. Bloxham said: “It’s seeing if something potentially very negative for Michael could turn into something very positive for the News of the World.”
He stressed that the swimmer had taken 1,500 drug tests and never failed one.
Until now?Comment -
Pretty Big story and consequences for a 2012 runComment -
BumpComment -
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whoever took and released this picture is a nark and a weasel
probably got good money for it but still a scumbag in my bookComment -
Wowהמוסד
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Guy is stupid do this shit with people standing around. Hes gotta be smarter than that and know that people will fvck him over the first chance they get for money or fame. Do this shit in the privacy of his house with no one around. Why do it where people can take a picture of it?Originally posted by goldengoatComment -
all true but that weasel is still scum.Originally posted by PanicComment -
fake storyComment -
Definately fakeComment -
that's not him in the pic anyway, fakeComment -
Still... that thing is not as bad as smoking tobacco... and I bet that he could kick the hell from us and still have stamina to keep swimming... Every1 of us has the right to make something stupid every once in a whileComment -
Fake, if that was Michael Phelps he'd probably be able to afford the King of all Bongs, not that peon bong.Comment -
He did nothing wrong, he is human after all.Phelps says bong photo authentic
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Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. -- Olympic great Michael Phelps has acknowledged "regrettable" behavior and "bad judgment" after a photo in a British newspaper showed him smoking marijuana.
In a statement released to The Associated Press, the swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games conceded the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Sunday by the tabloid News of the World.
Phelps said: "I engaged in behavior 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."
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I just woke up, is this on the news on TV on the major News Channels or just the internet?המוסד
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He's admitting he's a criminal, possessing cannabis is a crime in the United States.
I've committed this same criminal act many times over the years.Comment -
I can't believe this story has not caught fire. Kills his image bigtime.Comment -
Ther is no such thing as a "cannabis pipe"
There are pipes.
What you choose to put in it is up to you.
There is no such thing as a "cannabis pipe".
Calling it that is just a way to add sensationalism to the story. I despise "reporters". Just report what happened, don't twist words around to sensationalize it. ****ing scumbags.Comment -
not in several states under 1 ounce.Originally posted by betplomComment -
Kellogg to drop Phelps over pot smoking photo
PORTLAND, Ore., Thu Feb 05, 07:25 PM
Cereal and snack maker Kellogg Co. said it won't renew its sponsorhip contract with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps because of a photo that showed him inhaling from a marijuana pipe. The Battle Creek, Mich.-based company said Thursday that Phelps's behavior — caught on camera and published Sunday in a British tabloid — is "not consistent with the image of Kellogg."
The company put Phelps on boxes of its Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes.
Phelps has kept the backing of many sponsors since the photo surfaced from a November house party at the University of South Carolina.
Phelps's agent was not immediately available to comment.
Kellogg says its contract with Phelps expires at the end of the month.Comment
