Michael Phelps was first linked to US swimmer Amanda Beard and English model Lily Donaldson and now a new name is making waves in the media for getting cozy with the iconic Olympian -Stephanie Rice. The athelete who won eight gold medals in Beijing. The swimmer is currently suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming, the latest fallout from a photo that showed the Olympic great with a marijuana pipe. The USA Swimming is also cutting off financial support to Phelps for the same three-month period.

‘This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,’ the federation said in a statement.

‘Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust.’

Olympic hero Michael Phelps is back in news, but this time, its all for the wrong reasons the swimmer has been snapped using a bong, an implement used to smoke cannabis.

British tabloid, News of the World, has posted a picture Saturday evening which they claim is 14-time Olympic Gold medallist Phelps taking a bong hit at a college in South Carolina.

After sporting chiefs announced laws which mean four-year bans for drug taking, Phelps dreams of adding to his overall 14 gold medal tally at the 2012 games in London could already be over.

Michael Phelps doping picture