Omega, Speedo, PureSport and Hilton Hotels – all sponsors of record-breaking Olympian Michael Phelps – have backed the swimmer following photographs of him inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
Swiss watchmaker Omega said Phelps' actions were a private matter and “non-issue” while Speedo called Phelps a “valued member of the Speedo team.” Hilton Hotels, whose relationship with Phelps dates to 2007, said in a statement that they “continue to support Michael Phelps as an athlete whose numerous athletic feats outshine an act of regrettable behaviour.”
Michael Humphrey, chief executive of Human Performance Labs and maker of sports performance beverage PureSport, added: “We applaud the fact that he has taken full and immediate responsibility for his mistake and apologised to us, his fans and the public and we support him during this difficult time.”
Phelps acknowledged “bad judgment” after the photo, which was reportedly taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina, appeared in Sunday British tabloid the News of the World.
After the Athens Games in 2004, Phelps was arrested for drink driving to which he pleaded guilty and said he would not make the same mistake again. John Sweeney, director of sports communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said that any future misdemeanor could hurt Phelp’s chances of future endorsements.
“My prediction would be that this will pass,” said Sweeney. “If it does happen again, it'll be twice the story and it will hurt him.”
The 23-year-old’s other big sponsors - including Visa, Subway and Kellogg - did not say anything when approached for comment by The Associated Press.
