Michael Phelps competes in the 100m Butterfly Final during day two of the Arena Pro Swim Series at the Skyline Acquatic Center on April 16, 2015 in Mesa, Arizona. PHOTO: AFP
PHONEIX: Olympic legend Michael Phelps beat his longtime rival Ryan Lochte by 0.33 seconds in his return from a six-month ban and found out he could get a special invitation to the world championships.
The 29-year-old Phelps, suspended by USA Swimming after a drunk-driving arrest in September, won the 100m butterfly at the Mesa Pro Series meeting in Phoenix on Thursday as he targets a place at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next year.
“It does feel good to be back,” said Phelps, who last competed at the Pan Pacific Championships in August.
Phelps was excluded from the US team for the world championships in Kazan, Russia in July after his ban.
But world body Fina said it wanted to give him a special invitation to the event. “Fina has proposed inviting Phelps as a special guest because of his exceptional sporting career,” said the federation’s executive director Cornel Marculescu.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2015.
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