Phelps looks to Rio after 'brutal' personal journey

Michael Phelps is looking to the future and a possible fifth Olympics in Rio after emerging from treatment for alcohol addiction with renewed ardor for swimming and for life.

Looking forward to his first races in nearly eight months, the 29-year-old US superstar said Wednesday he knows he'll have to convince skeptics he has changed in the wake of the drunk-driving episode last September 30 in his native Baltimore.

"I of course would like to show everybody in the world that I am in a different place and I am much better than I ever have been," said Phelps, who is entered in five events in this week's meet in suburban Phoenix.

"I understand that's going to take a lot of time. This week will be the first week that I can start that."

At his trial in December, Phelps's lawyer said he had attended inpatient addiction treatment as well as Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

"I did more growing up in the last eight months than I ever have in my life," Phelps said. "It's been some of the most challenging times of my life -- brutal."

But, he added, "I have been able to come out on a better end, have a clear head. I don't think I've ever been like this once in my life."

Bob Bowman said he had seen a real change in the swimmer he had coached since childhood.

Bowman shepherded Phelps to the pinnacle of the sport, masterminding his remarkable eight-gold campaign at the Beijing Games, part of an Olympic career that has yielded a staggering 18 golds among his 22 medals.

But Bowman has also weathered Phelps's periods of lackluster effort, notably in the build up to the 2012 London Games.

And he has seen Phelps fight past more youthful scandals including a prior drunk driving charge when he was 19 and the tabloid ruckus over a picture of Phelps with a marijuana pipe in early 2009.

"No one is more skeptical than me,” Bowman said. "When we had our last experience, it was going to be pretty hard to convince me that anything was going to lead back to something that we would be proud of."

A couple of rare phone calls from Phelps when he was in treatment caught Bowman's attention, and he visited the swimmer.

- Meaningful change -

"Honestly, when I went, I was, again, skeptical," Bowman said. "When I left there ... I just had no doubt that he had changed in a way that was really meaningful.

"It wasn’t superficial. It wasn't like he’s just doing it because he knew he had to. He's completely different."

Bowman and Phelps say the changes are evident in the pool -- with Phelps training at a level not seen since he was preparing for Beijing.

Phelps is thriving out of the pool as well, announcing his engagement to Nicole Johnson in February and developing his new "MP" brand with Aquasphere that includes the new Xpresso competition suit.

Despite his renewed enthusiasm, Phelps said he is reconciled to missing the World Championships in Kazan, Russia, July 24-August 9.

He qualified for the worlds last August, but as part of the punishment meted out by USA Swimming in the wake of his arrest last year had agreed not to compete.

"I do accept the decision USA Swimming made back early in the fall," Phelps said, addressing a report in March that he might be reinstated.

"Hopefully, I'll look forward to rejoining my team-mates next summer," Phelps said. "I guess leading into Rio."

The mention of Rio was Phelps's first official confirmation since he came out of a 20-month retirement last year that he was aiming for more Olympic gold.

"You guys heard it here first, like it's a big surprise," Phelps quipped of the ill-kept secret.
Source: AFP