Michael Phelps pulled out of a swim meet in Minnesota last weekend. The Minnesota Grand Prix was the first of seven short-course meets to prepare U.S. swimmers for next year's World Championships in Shanghai. He did not comment as to why he withdrew, but the reason seemed to appear beside him in Los Angeles.
Phelps was spotted out with socialite Brittny Gastineau Friday night and again shopping the next day. Gastineau's reps confirm that the pair are dating. When TMZ cameras caught up with the pair, she smiled while Phelps walked out of sight of the camera, and the pair drove off together.
Phelps has not competed since the Pan-Pacs in August, after which he stated he wanted to relax for a little while and play some golf, but fans of his and the sport might be wondering if he's relaxing a bit too much.
His form has clearly dipped since his stellar performance in Beijing more than two years ago, and close-friend Ryan Lochte has usurped him as the top U.S. swimmer. Many of the sports analysts would say that it was time off after the 2008 Olympics that have made it hard for him to get back to his best, and they won't like the look of this.
Phelps' coach and family have always said that his competitive nature and hatred of losing are what make him such a phenomenal athlete, but most would say that distractions like this and too much time off can quickly turn a world-class athlete into a thing of the past.
Gastineau may not be the worst companion for Phelps though. She is the daughter former New York Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau, so she knows a thing or two about athletes. However, chances are Gastineau has no interest in leaving celebrity-haven LA for the suburbs of Baltimore, so this doesn't seem like something we should be too worried about. On the contrary, this might be just what Phelps needs; some good times just before the real crunch time before the 2012 gets going.
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