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USA Swimming Suspends Michael Phelps Over DUI Arrest

Michael Phelps reacts following the men's 200m butterfly final at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Gold Coast in August.
Patrick Hamilton
/
AFP/Getty Images
Michael Phelps reacts following the men's 200m butterfly final at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Gold Coast in August.

Eighteen-time Gold medalist Michael Phelps, who was arrested for Driving Under the Influence, has been suspended for six months and will miss the 2015 FINA World Championships, USA Swimming announced on Monday.

"Michael's conduct was serious and required significant consequences," USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said in a statement.

As The Washington Post reports, Phelps was arrested over the weekend for driving 84 mph in a 45 mph zone. ESPN reported that Phelps registered .14 percent on a Breathalyzer test. The legal limit in Maryland is .08.

On Twitter, Phelps apologized and said he understood "the severity of my actions and take full responsibility."

He went on: "I'm going to take some time away to attend a program that will provide the help I need to better understand myself."

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.