5 Michael Phelps controversies ranked

Michael Phelps, with his tally of 28 Olympic medals, is the greatest Olympian of all time. He enjoys a massive fan following and respect in the sports fraternity.

However, in his enormous career, on one side, he has created several records but has also faced criticism for his actions. Controversies have had a long history with Phelps since the start of his career.

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5 top-ranked controversies from Michael Phelps

Here is a list of top controversies that involved the great Michael Phelps:

#1 2004 DUI arrest

In 2004, Michael Phelps was detained for driving while intoxicated. The event took place in Salisbury, Maryland, in November. Phelps was given a probationary period of 18 months after entering a guilty plea. He also had to provide a $250 punishment and a speech on not drinking and driving to high school pupils.

Phelps at the medal ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics

Moreover, a meeting of Moms Against Drunk Driving was requested of the talented swimmer. Phelps spoke with Eric Adelson of ESPN The Magazine in 2004 following the event. Phelps added:

"I made a mistake and I wanted to share my feelings about it."

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#2 Found smoking weed

Phelps became embroiled in controversy in 2009 after it emerged that he had been seen using a bong and inhaling marijuana at a fraternity party at the University of South Carolina. Due to this, the swimming sensation lost a sponsorship opportunity.

Michael Phelps' viral image of smoking marijuana pipe

Kellogg's food manufacturing business, well-known for its cereals, declared that it would not be renewing its contract with Phelps.

The Olympian was also suspended for three months by USA Swimming as a result of the viral image.

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#3 2014 DUI arrest

The GOAT Olympian was detained once more in Baltimore in September 2014 on suspicion of DUI and speeding. The world-class swimmer was taken into custody on September 30 at about 1:00 AM. He acknowledged his error and apologized via a tweet on his Twitter account.

Michael Phelps apologized profusely to everyone he had let down with his behavior. He had to be coerced into a six-week rehab course. Upon his arrest, Phelps received a six-month ban from all events from USA Swimming. The halt took place between October 2014 and April 2015.

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#4 Lia Thomas Controversy

The letter was sent to the University and Ivy League authorities by 16 members of the University of Pennsylvania women's swim team around a year ago. They urged the exclusion of Lia Thomas from the upcoming NCAA championships.

Phelps sparked controversy by talking about the circumstances surrounding transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

Taylor Lianne Chandler, Michael Phelps' self-described ex-girlfriend, has also connected the role of Penn students (sending the letter) to the Baltimore Bullet.

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#5 Pfizer controversy

Phelps recently announced his affiliation with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation Pfizer. The American Swim star said that the reason for his affiliation with the firm was that his battle with depression puts him at a greater risk of COVID-19.

Given that the company's reputation had recently suffered, he found himself in another controversy as the fans did not take him well. The company's COVID vaccination, which it created, has drawn criticism.

Michael Phelps switched down the comment area as the pressure from the fans began to build.