International Olympic Committee President Says Michael Phelps Deserves a Second Chance

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge says that Michael Phelps deserves a second chance after he was photographed smoking marijuana from a bong. Rogge says the swimmer should receive the benefit of the doubt after his public apology and promises not to repeat the mistake.

This past August, Phelps took home a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Earlier this month the British newspaper News of the World published a photo of Phelps with a pipe at a party in South Carolina. He was thus suspended by the U.S. swimming federation for three months.

Rogge says that Phelps was not guilty of a doping offense because the incident occurred outside of a competition. However he warned that "this is not something he should repeat." Speaking friday at the opening of an IOC liaison office with the European Union, he continued, "II tend to believe he will not do it."

The marijuana incident is the the first time that Phelps has been caught engaging in an illegal activity. Shortly after his triumphs at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, at the age of 19, Phelps was caught drunk driving. This marks the second offense for the swimming superstar - will a third strike mean he's out?

The IOC will of course stand by him, for now. Afterall, he's worth millions of dollars in promotional opportunities for them.