Michael Phelps’ bong-ripping blunder has left him promising he’ll never do it again – again.
The super Olympian yesterday apologized after a picture surfaced showing him apparently smoking pot from a bong. And he promised that “it will not happen again” – the second time in four years that the 14 gold medal-win ning swimmer has sung that song after a substance-abuse scandal.
“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demon strated bad judgment,” Phelps said.
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“I’m 23 years old, and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappro priate 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.”
If that mea culpa rings a bell, it’s because Phelps said something similar in late December 2004 – when he was sentenced to 18 months’ probation after pleading guilty to Maryland drunken-driving charges.
“I recognize the seriousness of this mistake. I’ve learned from this mistake and will continue learning from this mistake for the rest of my life,” Phelps, then 19, told a sentencing judge.
Apparently that lesson didn’t sink in, even after Phelps scored $5 million worth of sponsorship deals following his record eight-gold-medal haul at the Beijing Olympics last summer.
London’s News of the World newspaper yesterday published a story headlined “What a Dope,” accompanied by a photo of Phelps sucking on a bong during a party last November at a University of South Carolina student’s apartment while visiting a gal pal, USC student Jordan Matthews.
Spokesmen for Phelps – who more recently has kept time with Las Vegas cocktail waitress Caroline Pal – did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.
Residents of Baltimore’s historic Fells Point neighborhood, where Phelps lives, say the swimming star has been frequenting the many upscale bars in the area since returning from Beijing.
“I’ve seen him four times since the Olympics, and I don’t go out that much,” said local bar patron Kristin McDonald
One bar customer said he overheard Phelps saying, “I’ve gotten fat, and I need to get back in the pool.”
That seems like good news for his coach, Bob Bowman, who issued a terse statement saying, “He regrets his behavior, and I’m sure he’ll learn from this experience,” adding, “I’m glad to have him back in training.”
Companies whose products Phelps endorses – including Visa, Kellogg’s and PureSport – were mum on whether they would ax his roles.
The US Olympic Committee issued a statement saying, “We are disappointed in the behavior recently exhibited by Michael Phelps.”
But his Olympic teammates backed him up.
“This in no way, shape or form diminishes anything he’s done,” said women’s-swimming star Dara Torres.
Jason Lezak, who swam the anchor leg on the 400-meter freestyle relay, said, “While I don’t condone his conduct, I am a teammate and fan.”
Additional reporting by Steven Ruark and Stephen Janis in Baltimore