Why Is It Such A Big Deal

Even In High School, I'd Tell My Mom I Was Sick Of Swimming And Wanted To Try To Play Golf. She Wasn't Too Happy. She'd Say, 'think About This.' And I'd Always End Up Getting Back In The Pool.

And, You Know, Being Able To Wear The Stars And Stripes, When You Step Up On One Of The Blocks Or, You Know, When You Step Off Of An Airplane Or When You Hear The National Anthem Play, You Know, It's One Of The Greatest Feelings In The World Because You Know That There Are People At Home Who Are Supporting You And Watching You.

I Engaged In Behavior Which Was Regrettable And Demonstrated Bad Judgment. I'm 23 Years Old And Despite The Successes I've Had In The Pool, I Acted In A Youthful And Inappropriate Way, Not In A Manner People Have Come To Expect From Me. For This, I Am Sorry. I Promise My Fans And The Public It Will Not Happen Again.

I Have The Opportunity To Be Part Of Swimming History. To Take The Sport To A New Level Would Be An Honor For Me. There's No Better Time To Try This Than Now.

I've Been Able To Get An Excitement Back In The Water.