Phelps Hides From Paps— at Strip Joints

Winter sports design looks like a joint to many

(NEWSER) - The 2010 Olympic torch gets attention wherever it goes, much of it from people who look at the sleek metal shape and see a joint, the Toronto Star reports. The resemblance is probably unintentional——the design is supposed to look like the tracks skis and skates leave on snow and ice—but "people who already enjoy a joint will feel a little more kinship to the Olympics," says the editor of Cannabis Culture magazine. More»

(NEWSER) - Michael Phelps’ suspension ended today, and the swimmer is back in the pool preparing for a tourney next week in Charlotte, the AP reports. The Olympian said he was actually unaware of the end of the 3-month ban, imposed after photos emerged of him hitting a bong. “I had no idea,” he said. But he’s happy to be competing again, for the first time since his stunning success at the Beijing Olympics. More»

Swimmer backs mom in NYC, up-ends bottle of Grey Goose

(NEWSER) - Michael Phelps, well on his way to reclaiming his All-American image, was spotted at a New York hotspot “drinking straight from a bottle of Grey Goose,” a source tells the Daily News. At one point, “he got up, started dancing like a loon and kept on yelling, ‘Shots!’” Phelps—who ordered four bottles of vodka—was in the city “to be with his mama, of course,” said Debbie Phelps. More»

Regulations limit suits' bouyancy, coverage

(NEWSER) - World competitive swimming organization Fina has outlawed certain high-tech swimming suits to keep the playing field even, reports the BBC. Suits cannot cover the neck, nor extend past the ankles and shoulders, and are limited to a certain thickness and buoyancy under the new rules. An astonishing 108 swimming records were broken last year, 79 of them by swimmers wearing the Speedo LZR Racer, including gold-medal blockbuster Michael Phelps. More»

(NEWSER) - In his first post-bong-photo interview, Michael Phelps says he has a sure-fire way to stay out of trouble—get back to the "normal routine" of the swimming pool. In the interview—it airs tomorrow on NBC's Today show, notes Entertainment Tonight—Matt Lauer asks Phelps if he's worried the bong photo would supplant his image as a champion. "I have no control over that," says Phelps. The only thing he can control is getting back to the pool, "where my home is," and where "I know I can't do anything wrong." More»