'Concerned' Michael Phelps says 'weight gain' behind swimming comeback

Olympic swimming superstar Michael Phelps has said that his increasing weight concern was the reason he decided to make a comeback to the sport.

The 18-time US Olympic swimming champion said that he loves the game, as it is very fun and challenging, but he obviously has a lot of passion for swimming still.

Phelps, who took to playing golf after he ended his illustrious swimming career after winning an unprecedented 22nd Olympic medal at London 2012, said that golf is something he could do for the rest of his life, the BBC reported.

Phelps said that the number one thing he had in mind was getting back into shape, adding that at the highest point he weighed 102 kg and he had raced at 85 kg in London.

Phelps, who swims the 100metre-butterfly event at the Mesa Grand Prix on Thursday, said that he wanted to see how much weight he could lose and how much he could progress.

The most decorated Olympian of all-time said that he enjoys being in the pool and feels that he with his long-term coach Bob Bowman can do anything they put their minds to, the report added.