PHOTOS EMERGE OF OLYMPIC SWIMMER ALLEGEDLY SMOKING POT IN COLUMBIA

American swimmer Michael Phelps became an international superstar when he won eight gold medals last summer at the Olympic Games. Then in November he showed up in Columbia at various University of South Carolina events.

Many people wondered what exactly he was doing. Now we might finally know.

It was on November 6, weeks after his Beijing triumph, that 23-year-old Phelps surprised students at the University Of South Carolina in Columbia by showing up unannounced at a house party.

He was visiting Jordan Matthews, a girl he was secretly seeing who was a student there.

Our source revealed: “Michael came to visit Jordan but ended up just getting wasted every night.

“He arrived with a group of girls hanging all over him. Jaws hit the floor when he walked in. You don’t get many celebrities in Columbia, so when Phelps comes to your party it’s a very big deal. [...]

As he basked in his hero status, Phelps knocked back beers and shots of spirits. And when a student offered him the glass bong engraved with red writing, he did not hesitate, says our source.

The 6ft 4ins athlete, in a white T-shirt and navy cap worn back to front, clasped the device in his huge hands and inhaled deeply.

Our source said: “You could tell Michael had smoked before. He grabbed the bong and a lighter and knew exactly what to do.

“He looked just as natural with a bong in his hands as he does swimming in the pool. He was the gold medal winner of bong hits. Michael ended up getting a little paranoid, though, because before too long he looked like he was nervous and ran out of the place.” [News of the World]

Whatever. I’m not going to fault the guy for smoking a little ganja.

There are a whole lot more important things in this world to be worrying about. Plus, the picture doesn’t actually show him smoking, just that he had a glass pipe up to his mouth.

Of course, the US Olympics Committee — who are supposedly cracking down on drug use — may not see it that way. They should, though, since “cracking down” on drugs in sports usually involves performance enhancing drugs and I’m pretty sure weed is the exact opposite of that.

Either way, the lesson here is that when you’re when of the most recognizable people in America, maybe the world, it’s probably not the best idea to take bong hits in a room full of stupid college kids while they take pictures.

Also, I take note with the “source” who said “you don’t get many celebrities in Columbia,” because I’m a celebrity and I totally live in Columbia.