USA Swimming publicly reprimanded Phelps, who won eight medals at the Beijing Games, temporarily withdrawing its financial support to him and barring him from competition through early May. Phelps receives a monthly stipend of $1,750 from the organization. The national and world championships will be held in the summer.
“We decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and hero,” the organization said in a statement.-- the New York Times, 6 February 2009.
Well, I for one am glad that USA Swimming has taken this stance. Without that reprimand, hundreds of thousands of kids might one day grow up and ... smoke pot? Well, that would surely be the end of the world.
