Phelps ready for return to pool

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Olympic star Michael Phelps will on Friday race competitively for the first time following a three-month ban.

The ban was imposed after pictures of the American appearing to smoke cannabis were published. 

Phelps will swim five events at the Charlotte Ultraswim, only two of which were part of his Olympic schedule. 

"It's kind of like Tiger Woods working on his putting game or his pitching game," said Phelps. "It's sort of completing the whole package." 

In Beijing, Phelps broke fellow swimmer Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record of winning seven gold medals at one Games, taking his personal tally to 14 - five more than anyone else has achieved. 

Among the events he will try out in Charlotte are the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke. 
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How will Phelps fare in his new events? 
BBC Sport's Peter Scrivener


"I've never really been able to focus more on the 100 free or 100 back, events like that. I've always had other events that conflicted with the schedule," he said. 

"It's more fun doing different things. It's not as repetitive as some of the things I've been doing for the last 12 years." 

And Phelps is so focused on the 2012 London Olympics he has already set the times he expects to achieve. 

His coach, Bob Bowman, said: "There is a whole list of aims for 2012 and just like always they are private. 

"The times are already set out for the Olympics. We have plenty of time to get where he wants to be." 

However, he can only now return to action after being penalised for the photographs, which appeared in February. 

He will aim to be back in form by the US Championships in July, which act as trials for the World Championships in Rome later that month. 

Phelps said: "I made a stupid mistake and it's something I will learn from. Your guard always has to be up. 

"Wherever I go I am aware of everything around. I am always looking to see who is around me, no matter who they are. If I'm not comfortable, I leave."