Below are a few excerpts from a story about Michael Phelps possibly making a comeback.
In a sport where not a dime is wagered or where 95% of the population could not name 5 US Olympic swimmers he is required to undergo 9 months of random testing before being allowed to compete in a sanctioned meet.
It kind of makes you wonder a bit!!!
In the strongest signal yet that his retirement won\'t last much longer, Phelps has rejoined the U.S. drug testing program — a necessary step for any athlete hoping to compete in an Olympic sport.
Phelps said he\'s merely giving himself the option of competing again and stressed that \"nothing is set in stone.\" But the doping program is a major inconvenience, requiring him to be available for random testing and keep officials apprised of his whereabouts.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Phelps was among the athletes who underwent doping tests in the third quarter, the period ending Sept. 30. He was tested twice.
His longtime coach and close friend, Bob Bowman, said Phelps actually re-entered the doping program near the end of the second quarter, but he wasn\'t tested and therefore wasn\'t listed in that USADA report. He would be eligible to compete again in March, according to Bowman.
By subjecting himself to drug testing, the 28-year-old Phelps has given himself plenty of time to go through an entire season before the next major meet, the 2015 world championships in Russia, an important steppingstone to the Rio Games the following summer. FINA, the world governing body for swimming, requires an athlete to be tested for at least nine months before taking part in sanctioned events.