After DUI Charge, Michael Phelps to Return to Competitive Swimming

The most decorated Olympian of all time will soon return to competitive swimming, after a DUI landed him in treatment and got him suspended from the sport.

Rodgers Forge native Michael Phelps, 29, was suspended from competitive swimming until April 6 by USA Swimming due to driving under the influence in September.

While promoting a new line of swim gear in Germany for his sponsor Aqua Sphere, Phelps said he plans to make his first appearance following the suspension at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa, Ariz., according to Swimming World magazine. The competition is from April 15 to 18.

• Phelps Sentenced in DUI Case
• Towson Native Michael Phelps Suspended from USA Swimming

Phelps has reportedly been in Arizona in recent months. After he was charged with driving under the influence near the Fort McHenry Tunnel on Sept. 30, Phelps attended a six-week inpatient program in Arizona for rehabilitation, according to WJZ. It was the second drunk driving charge for the Olympic swimmer, who also received a DUI when he was 19.

In the months since his arrest, Phelps has not been allowed to receive his monthly USA Swimming stipend and was prohibited from competing in USA Swimming-sanctioned events. He may not compete at the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia, in August as part of his punishment from USA Swimming.

In Baltimore City District Court, Phelps was sentenced in December to one year of jail time, all of which was suspended, online court records show. In addition, he was placed on probation for 18 months, during which time he may not drink alcohol, according to Fox 45.

“I’ve enjoyed lately more than I really ever have being back in the water,” Phelps said Friday at a press conference in Munich, Germany, promoting his new swim line. “It’s just...me feeling, I guess, like me again...”

After Phelps told media that he plans to return to competitive swimming at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Arizona, the event promptly sold out of its VIP tickets, USA Today reported.

• More Details Surface about Phelps DUI
• Bored with Retirement, Phelps Pursues Rio Comeback
• Michael Phelps Arrested for Drunk Driving

Screenshot from YouTube video by SID..