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 Phelps, who recently returned to top-level competition after a
two-year retirement, will also not be allowed to represent the
United States at the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships in
Russia next August, USA Swimming said in a statement.
The arrest last Tuesday marked the second time the 29-year-old
Baltimore-area native had been arrested for drunken driving, the
first being in 2004. In the first case, he pleaded guilty to a
lesser charge of driving while impaired in exchange for 18 months'
probation.
"Membership in USA Swimming, and particularly at the National Team
level, includes a clear obligation to adhere to our Code of
Conduct," USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said in a
statement.
"Should an infraction occur, it is our responsibility to take
appropriate action based on the individual case. Michael’s conduct
was serious and required significant consequences."
 Phelps was arrested last week after speeding and then crossing the
double-lane lines inside a Baltimore tunnel, police said, adding he
was clocked by radar traveling 84 miles per hour (135 kph) in a
45-mph (72-kph) zone.
Documents indicate that Phelps registered .14 percent on a
Breathalyzer test after being pulled over in his 2014 Land Rover.
The legal limit for intoxication in Maryland is .08.
Phelps apologized for the incident and said on Sunday he was
checking himself into rehab for six weeks in order to "better
understand myself."
'ACCEPTS SANCTIONS'
He can train with his member club during his suspension, but is
ineligible to participate in USA Swimming-sanctioned competitions
through March 6, 2015. Phelps, who has won 22 Olympic medals, 18 of
them gold, will also forfeit a monthly stipend from USA Swimming
during the six-month suspension.
"Michael accepts USA Swimming's sanctions," said a spokesman at
Octagon, the group that represents Phelps. "He has apologized for
his actions and, as he shared yesterday, is taking steps to address
them."
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Although he has not indicated a desire to compete at the 2016
Olympics, many view Phelps' recent return to the pool as a clear
sign he wants to stage a comeback.
Dara Torres, a 12-time Olympic medalist, said she believed Phelps
could still make the U.S. squad for Rio de Janeiro.
"I don't think the suspension is going to affect him physically,
because they're not saying he can't train. He just can't compete,"
Torres, a former teammate of Phelps, told Reuters in a telephone
interview.
"He can still stay in shape and he knows what to expect and how to
compete. It's not like he's starting something new."
Wielgus said: "Michael has publicly acknowledged the impact of his
decisions, his accountability especially due to his stature in the
sport and the steps necessary for self-improvement. We endorse and
are here to fully support his personal development actions."
(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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