Phelps Chugs Vodka While Mom Plugs Book

Caydee Denney, Lindsey Jacobellis, Lindsey Vonn will be exciting

(NEWSER) - The Olympics are just three weeks from tomorrow, and The Frisky offers a look at American women you should keep your eye on when it’s time to tune in:

• Caydee Denney: The young unknown came out of nowhere to win the US figure skating championships with partner Jeremy Barret. Watch the video.
• Lindsey Jacobellis: The two-time world champ snowboarder is looking for a comeback to redeem her loss in the 2006 Olympics (see video).
• Lindsey Vonn: With her own two World Championships—and two World Cups—this 25-year-old skier was on track to excel at the 2006 games, but ended up in seventh place after an injury during training.

Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce has 'long recovery' ahead

(NEWSER) - Doctors have upgraded Kevin Pearce’s condition from critical to serious and say the snowboarder is slowly regaining consciousness after a spill last week that left him with a traumatic brain injury. That’s “faster than anticipated,” one doctor says, but “he still has a long recovery ahead of him.” Pearce had been hoping to garner worldwide attention by pulling off a double cork at the Vancouver Olympics next month, notes the Boston Globe , which talked to him before his accident. More»

Kevin Pearce strikes his head during training

(NEWSER) - One of the top US snowboarders was seriously injured today when he struck his head performing a risky maneuver in training. Kevin Pearce, a 22-year-old Vermont resident, will undergo a procedure in Utah to relieve pressure on his brain after he hit his head on the half pipe. Pearce, a favorite to make the Olympic team, had been training for a qualifying event with some of the world's top snowboarders, reports the New York Times . More»

And yet Phelps is vilified for smoking pot

(NEWSER) - Michael Phelps smokes a bong at a private party and becomes Public Enemy No. 1. Lance Armstrong signs a deal to hawk beer for Anheuser-Busch and—nothing. Therein lies a lesson about our nation's "absurd drug policy," writes David Sirota. Alcohol is the demonstrably more dangerous drug, yet it's fine for a world-class athlete—a cancer survivor, no less—to encourage us to drink it. More»

Cops say alcohol not a factor in Olympic swimmer's collision

(AP) - Michael Phelps was uninjured after the car he was driving collided with another vehicle in Baltimore tonight. The female driver of a Honda Accord was "shaken up" and taken to a hospital as a precaution. Two passengers in Phelps' Cadillac Escalade were unhurt. A police spokesman says Phelps has been interviewed and alcohol was not a factor. No charges were filed, and the accident was under investigation. Phelps' SUV had a crumpled hood, while the Accord had considerable damage on the front driver side. . More»