Per the Asheville Citizen-Times, Phelps told the Associated Press he "had no idea" the ban was over. USA Swimming barred Phelps from competition for three months after a picture of him inhaling from a marijuana pipe appeared in a London tabloid.
His return to competition begins next week in Charlotte, N.C., which will be the first competitive meet after winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics and beating Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record of seven gold medals and being the winningest Olympian ever. Phelps said he plans on competing in the 2012 Summer Games in London.
The Twitterverse weighed in on Phelps' return:
Aggiept Wow no more suspensiov for Phelps! I bet he goes celebrates by torching up a dobbie!
twndx_sports Phelps returns. We can all relax over this bong thing now. http://tinyurl.com/d6buqp
scaryizzo hey, Michael Phelps's suspension is over! WHOLE WORLD REJOICE!
CycloneOvertime Apparently Michael Phelps didn't know his ban was recently lifted. Insert punch line here.
JimmyHodson is glad Michael Phelps' suspension is over. Maybe he can fashion that bong into a snorkel and get back in the pool! The US needs some gold!
tubesocksrock NO WAY. PHELPS IS BACK. yay, he better not do drugs ever again !
