Michael Phelps gets suspended sentence for drunk driving

Washington, Dec 20 (IANS/EFE) American swimming legend Michael Phelps received a one-year suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to drink-driving, media reported.

The 29-year-old athlete, winner of a record 18 Olympic gold medals, was arrested on Sep 30 in Maryland while speeding and driving with a blood-alcohol level that was nearly double the legal limit.

USA Swimming, the national governing body for swimming sports in the country, subsequently suspended Phelps for six months and he will not be allowed to participate in next year's world aquatics championships in Kazan, Russia.

As part of the sentence, the Baltimore City District Court judge ordered Phelps, who pleaded guilty Friday to driving under the alcohol influence, to refrain from drinking alcohol during his probation.

In 2004, Phelps pleaded guilty to the charge of driving while he received 18 months of probation, while in 2009 USA Swimming suspended the athlete for three months after a photo surfaced showing him smoking marijuana at a party.

Phelps retired from competition after the 2012 London Olympics, but in April he announced that he was resuming training with an eye on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

--IANS/EFE

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