Towson Native Michael Phelps Suspended from USA Swimming

The most decorated Olympic athlete of all time—Towson’s own Michael Phelps—has been suspended by USA Swimming, the national body that selects Olympic teams and promotes what it calls the “culture of swimming” in the United States, after Phelps was charged last week with drunk driving.

USA Swimming reported its decision Monday to impose three penalties in the Phelps case: he’s suspended from USA Swimming-sanctioned events through April 6, 2015, although he may still train with his team; he will not receive USA Swimming’s monthly stipend during his six-month suspension; and Phelps is withdrawn from the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia, next August.

The decision came less than a week after Phelps was charged with DUI as the result of a Sept. 30 traffic stop in his Land Rover near the Fort McHenry Tunnel. He is also charged with crossing double-painted lines and speeding. It was his second DUI; he received his first when he was 19.

“I recognize that this is not my first lapse in judgment, and I am extremely disappointed with myself,” Phelps, who is now 29, tweeted Sunday. “I’m going to take some time away to attend a program that will provide the help I need to better understand myself.”

He will be attending a six-week inpatient program for treatment, according to The Baltimore Sun, which reported his agent declined to specify the nature of the treatment.

Related:

• More Details Surface About Michael Phelps DUI Arrest
• Michael Phelps Reportedly Arrested for Drunk Driving