Looks like Phelps was practicing his backside stroke. It's a little stiff, but good overall form, champ.

He looks like a normal 23 year old young man. He does need to remember to mind his manners though, I have a teenage son who swims and thinks this man is a god.

I don't see him doing anything wrong in the 2 pics I saw, certainly not an "aggressive grip.". Maybe Neel Shah has a big nose and a big mouth and a bit jealous?? :0)

Ooooh, what will Mommy say?

Good for him. I'm 23 and I go to strip clubs. He's the most winning olympic champ ever, he deserves to be able to do this for the rest of his life haha.

There's a national hero for you. After his first Olympics he's picked up for drunk driving. Second Olympics he's out pawing women. Hell, I hope he makes the next Olympics so he can get picked up for 1st degree murder.
I'm sure my hometown of Baltimore County will throw a big parade for the champ.
As for greatest athlete who's ever lived? PLEASE! He has more medals because swimmers have more races, that doesn't make him the greatest anything. My suggestion is take some of that billion dollars and get those teeth and Dumbo ears fixed.

This is silly. Michael's entire hand is on her hips. If you look at the picture closely, you can see his wrist at the front of her hip, and in the next picture you can see his fingers above her butt. We were told he has hands as large as a dinner plate, so his hand would naturally wrap completely around her entire side. Geez... If he wanted to touch her backside...all he had to do was drop his hand a little lower and further back. Have a great day.

yo jrw21221 i am a huge m.p. phan. so shut up. i didnt hear of him getting picked up for deunk driving, and FYI i am a swimmer and it is hard. i doubt that if they were (the olypics) were picking up random people, and u got picked to swim, u would lose terribly.

tweeie30, i completely agree with you.

GUYS NEED I REMINGD YOU!!!!!! he is the greatest olypic swimmer the world has ever seen! and he is 23, he is a guy, he is extremely famous, OF COURSE THE PRESSURE CRUSHES HIM!!!! but it only did a littlei truly believe that it is not him. it doenst look like him!!if your father ran away, and your mother was a high school principal who taught you the right way to live, would u seriously start acting like your father? N-O-!u ppl who think he is a moron-idiot-skank-bastard-slut-type-thing. GET A LIFE!!!!!!!! ROCK ON MICHAEL!!!

people are saying these pictures aren't real... i think they are...

A well crafted and thought provoking argument, xixamxme. Upon reading your fervent defense of Michael Phelps, I immediately tore up and set fire to my AP Stylebook. I will now seek only your infinite wisdom for my copy editing needs. Bravo.

yo, he's a dude and a hottie. whadya expect? sainthood or satanhood, he's gonna keep goin for that gold, yall. and why not? oooo, to be 23 again with the whole world at your feet...mmmm...keep it up, mikey

This is actually NOT the Playboy Club...you can tell by the girl's outfit, it is MOON...I can tell...we sat in the same VIP spot.

It definetely proves that he is not a fish. :)

xixamxme, glad u agree with me! :) And may I say this to jrw21221...I cannot believe the comment you left about Michael's ears. You are very immature. You are most likey jealous of Michael's rock hard abs, 32" waist, sexy guns, a perfect physique, and a family who loves him so much. He is adorable, sexy and sweet all rolled into one. So take that jrw21221! :)~

Thank you Michael.....for being a NORMAL healthy 23 year old. There is LIFE before and after the Olympics.. remember to mind your Manners..Moms find out quickly. Congratulations on your Gold Medals my dear.

What a dick!! Such a shame!!

What Michael needs is a good gay man to
give him a long, succulent blow job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

michael really needs a long, sensual
tingling blow job from a gay man!!

These are nice pictures. Looks like a normal young man to me. As long as he stays the well-mannered gentleman that he obviously is, then he is fine. If he has a girlfriend who doesn't like it, then she can go to see the male strippers.

Micheal is a wonderful athlete, he has trained hard and long. But he should be a little careful, many young kids look up to him; it's a burden for him but it's true. That's just the fact of hero worship.
And for those of you who don't believe he was ever arrested for DUI, check your facts.
We in Michigan remember the situation well. Right after the last Olympics he was arrested near the UM campus on a DUI charge.

Go Mike! Eight gold medals entitles you to play grab-ass while shelling out for $20 drinks. Who the f cares? And pay no attention to the haters and cheap shot artists who post about you. Those peeps have never swam a lap in their life, and don't understand the sacrifice involved with getting to your level. Get as much fun in now before Bowman gets you back in the pool in early '09.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Michael looks like a normal young man in his 20's - kicking up his heels a bit. If the "wild life" should become an everyday practice - maybe that would be more of a concern. However, he's currently dedicated to a sport that demands the opposite. For those worrying about their impressionable children seeing him, I'd suggest using some common sense on what "news" sources they can access.

I dont see anything wrong with those pics!
he's a normal 23 years old guy, know what he's doing.
why make it a big deal!

Don't Michael have a right to have fun, and He don't intend to have all pazzarri's show up and took photos of him what he was doing, which was NOT our business!... MYOB!

my brain hurts.

go Michael follow your heart's desire, you are just like one of us human with right senses and right mind. I don't see anything bad about you being photographed with this kind of scenes. If someone can say that you are human from another planet, I would say I want to live i your Planet where humans have immunity for all types of negative vibes.

Keep up our hero.

You know Michael is a young guy; hell in fact I have jocks older than him..so why not let the boy live and get off his back. With that many gold he deserves to enjoy life and from what I have read about his past it is a Good Thing. I say Michael enjoy it while you can dude.

hey gsaintl, why are you calling him a dick, because he went to a strip club? i have been to strip clubs, i'm not a dick. i think your just a tad uptight, i think maybe your an ass. now that's a good fit for you...a dick and an ass.

the only gold he is going to win here is "GOLD DIGGER"

Y'all play nice. Those pics don't do Michael justice - he's much better looking than the photos indicate. What single, heterosexual, healthy, young man wouldn't want to touch the merchandise? And, hey, I wouldn't kick him out of bed unless he wanted to do it on the floor.

we were at disney when mickymalaka showed up, didn't want anyone to know but wore a shirt with his name on it. ignored eveyone, partyed on his balcony with booze and medals around his neck.my kids left him a note to meet him,we were 2 doors down, we waited for 2 days. we cheered him on for one week, proud of him, he could care less , some american hero and mickey gave him the key to disney, some american hero he is! my son said mickey should take the key back. i agree,

First of all Alex, lets be honest the "scantily-clad cocktail servers" is a polite term for strippers. I'm a professional, attractive woman that has been to enough of these places to know why these girls work there. It's not to put themselves through college. It's the almighty buck. As you know, they are willing to do a lot more for it than walk around in a bikini, flirting, and asking for a dollar. If all Michael did was put his hand on her hip (probably after tipping her) than he is being a gentleman.
Shame on the media for trying to find something negative about this man. He accomplished the incredible goals he set for himself and deserves nothing but praise and admiration.
Yes he had a DUI but he paid his dues and did community service.
In response to jrw21221's post- you must be a jealous, ignorant, slob that started to examine his own life and realized he accomplished nothing. I'm sure that would make you as angry as you seem to be.

He's at the Playboy club and he's a 23 year old single male. Doesn't look that aggressive to me. He's a great athlete, but I just don't understand the reaction by many females. I asked my 20 year old daughter and her reply was that he looks good neck to waist, but she just couldn't personally get by the face, particularly the mouth, no matter money and notoriety.

thom1111 - looks like you're offering...

The rest of you who are criticizing him for doing this and that people "look up to him" - tough crap - he's an athlete. Like Charles Barkley said - "I ain't no role model". Parents - if you have to have your kid look up to Michael Phelps rather than YOU - then you're not doing your job...

Sorry to burst your bubble - but the guy is human... and if I was 23, had the world by the ass - I'd do what I wanted too!

PIzza101 - sorry that he didn't do what YOU wanted him to... do you think that he should just come by everyone's room that puts a note under his door? Seriously - get a life. Why are YOU more special than anyone else? Because you have two kids and were two doors down from him in the hotel? Put yourself in his place - the guy is accosted by everyone that sees him - and if he went to your room - then he'd have to go to everyone's room then... wouldn't he? Or would it be ok to just go to YOUR room - because YOU want him there... Or maybe he DID start going to rooms with notes under the door - and decided to go to some hottie's room and spend a few days THERE - rather than seeing you and your kids.

xixamxme - wow... I think I'm dumber for having TRIED to read your incoherent, babbling attempt at defending Michael Phelps...

I'll defend him for you - it IS him - he IS groping strippers and I for one, am PROUD of him... proves to me he IS a bit normal...

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO strippers!!!!!!!!!

His annoying bitch, attention-grabbing, gold-digging mom is probably there somewhere too - thinking of how she can make money from this... hmmmmm...... maybe she can take MORE pictures like this - then sell them on the internet... go on Dr. Phil and tell everyone how hurt she is that her poor little mikey wikey is in the strip club and she doesn't know WHAT he can do... while she's there - she can promote her book (which I'm sure is forthcoming - if not already there... or his book - that she'll get the money from).

What exactly is wrong with a little r&r?

I am tired of hearing this friggin crap about how he is behaving as "a normal 23 year old man." So apparently the "normal" thing for young men to do is grope and degrade women?

Yes he is a great Olympian, but that in no way serves to justify his actions -- it actually makes matters worse due to the fact that he's become such a role model (ahem) to kids...not to mention that fact that he represents our country.

And I'm not being naive, I know a lot of guys do what he did, but he could at least avoid it while currently being the most popular person in the media. I don't care what his accomplishments are or how hard he has worked.....objectifying women isn't a reward.

He was also arrested for DUI in Maryland ...a friend of mine is the trooper that pulled him over....he was visiting friends at Salisbury University......all he got was community service.....

All the time he spends in water,getting into this hot water is not bad at all.
Great go go dancer style costumes that the girls are wearing are real popular now and you may fin d some great deals @ http://www.electriqueboutique.com/
So go for it team USA and lets celebrate victory for the USA on all different fronts.

The playboy girls are whores. Do what you want Michael Phelps.

It looks like the same picture but from two different directions.......Nevertheless, who cares???? He's a 23 year old male who is sitting on top of the world right now. He's a supports legend and superstar because of the Olympics. Not because he makes a rediculous amount of money like the football or baseball players with their over the top contracts! If he was going down on some dude in a gay club that would be news. Who cares about this? If the dude gets lucky because of his recent success, I say more power to him. Just be safe and always practice safe sex. Many kids look up to him now so he needs to do the right thing. I think he will. He comes from good stock and has already had some screw ups in the public eye, so he knows how the media and press work. They will be stalking him as long as they think he can sell magazines and newspapers. Anyway, let the guy do his thing and enjoy his new found celebrity status. I think he's earned it rightfully. Have fun Mike!

He doesn't look like he's doing anything more than any other guy his age in the Playboy Club. His celebrity may have gotten him a pass on touching, but the girlies are wearing next to nothing. Wonder what they thought he might do?

Grope and degrade women? They are apparently strippers. I think groping is a bit of a stretch and I doubt if the girls were feeling degraded. They chose the profession, for whatever reason. I'm so tired of hearing about degradation. If I wanted to be a stripper I'd just be one. (Not much market for middle aged women with too many curves though.) I doubt seriously if I would feel degraded if it was a choice I made. Degradation would come from being forced in to a life one does not want. No one is forcing these women to dress that way or perform. They can go to work at the 7-11. It just doesn't pay as well and it's clearly all about the Benjamins.

Mark won his first 8 gold many years ago.
And Mark commented that it would be great for Mike to equal his 8 golds.
But that would only make Mike second to Mark! (quoted Mark)

And Mark is still the first one that conquer the "Mt Everest" of swimming.
Though Mark is still humble and the one that play second fiddle thinks otherwise!

And you parents still have not learned any lessons from Michael Fay's conviction, prison terms and few strokes of the rotan (cane) for vandalism
in Singapore.
Today, we've open up and allow naked bar top dancing where female dancers
stripped naked and dances on bar top. But it's purely commercial and its "SEE
BUT NO TOUCH" The crimes for molestation is much more heavy than Mike Fay's slap on the wrist of few months and few strokes!!

Mike Tyson was the fallen hero who was convicted of rape.

In hindsight, the three "Mike" allow pride to go before destruction sets in...
The first Mike thinks he was immune as an American citizen to Singapore's Law and Judiciary System against the Mighty American superior military power.
Despite former President Bill Clinton personal appeal, Mike was given one less stroke of the rotan!!!
Then came the Mike who make chocolate ears popular when he bite off his opponent ears. And a real terror where ever he went. Rape any female he pleased...
And now the second fiddle to Mark. Whose name is Mike the one who fails to
beat Mark's record and 8 golds. Why not focus on 9 golds instead of ass grabbing???

We overseas Chinese are real proud that China staged the games with great exception and outstanding performances. And won the most gold medals. America came in second with gold medals haul. But the Chinese remains humble and strive to focus on the next game in London... Hopefully, without such forbearing, Mafia like terror "Mike" in London in 2012.

SORRY I SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH HIS ACTIONS. I AM SURE IF HE WAS A NOBODY SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE GIVEN HIM THE TIME OF DAY . THE ABOUT TO BE SUPERRICH KID IS A TARGET FOR GOD KNOWS WHO . SCAMS WE CAN'T IMAGINE . HE DOES NOT KNOW HE IS NAIVE HE PROBABLY THINKS HE IS NOT. 20 YEARS FROM NOW HE WILL HAVE HEARD EVERY POSSIBLE CONARTIST STORY, HOPEHE DOES NOT GET STUNG BY ONE . MY ONLY WEEKNESS WAS TO LOAN OR GIVE A FEW DOLARS TO PEOPLE I KNOW AND GET 1 OUT OF 3 TO PAY IT BACK.

1st off it is not the same photo just from a different direction as Liam says. Just look at her right arm/hand In the 1st pic it is down below her navel and in the 2nd pic it is up above her breast. Also he is doing nothing wrong at all, his hand is clearly on her hip. As for the woman who says he is being demeaning to women, that surely comes from a woman who wishes she could get that kind of attention. The kind of attention that this woman is getting for having a great body that she probably works out every day of the week at a gym to acheive. When we as men acknowledge that a woman is physically beautiful we are labeled as being demeaning to woman and that we are somehow being disrespectful to not only the woman that we are ackowledging that they are physically beautiful in our eyes, but that we are somehow also being disrespectful to all women. This could not be further from the truth, as I believe as long as this acknowledgment is done in a friendly and not in a disrespectful way, then it is and is meant to be a very nice compliment.
I believe that 99.9% of the women who make commits like these labeling men as being disrespectful and demeaning to not only the woman that these compliments and the acknowledgment of their hard work that they have put in to so show the inherent beauty that woman possess, but also somehow that it is also disrespectful and demeaning to all women are just very jealous. I say to all "THOSE" women stop labeling such men as being demeaning to women and get your butt to the gym and stop your bitching. I don't think I have ever heard a very physically attractive women when complimented on how great they look, how beautiful they are, what a great body they have say "How dare you say such a demeaning and disrespectful thing to me.
Michael P. I say go for it guy, you deserve all the fruits of your labor, all those long hours, days, weeks, months and years it has taken for you to reach the high goal you set for yourself and the fact that you represented your country and made us all proud.
You worked so very hard, now it's your turn to enjoy yourself by taking some time for "YOU" after all you sacrificed an unimagineable amount of your life to reach your goal and to proudly represent your country.
This time is now for "YOU"

wow. I have been hanging out online all night. I still have 25 minutes to make my local nudy bar. thanks Radar !

What a misleading headline- 'Phelps BUSTED fondling girls in skimpy suits'! The girls don't seem to mind, so why is this news? Leave the guy alone. It prolly made the girls' day (night) to have MP come to their club. Someone should've busted this jerk's camera.

I agree w/Eriksun about pizza101--why the hell should MP do what YOU think he should do? He prolly felt good about the note from your kids, I'm sure it was a compliment and let him know he had fans, why not leave it at that. Instead, because he didn't do what YOU wanted him to do (lot of nerve), you have a bitter feeling towards him now. If you waited for two days for him to show up at your hotel door, then you're on another planet.Get over it.

To cgnetwork, I believe you when you say the chinese people are humble. I have no reason to believe they are not, and I think they should be very proud of the job China did presenting these Olympics. But unfortunately your government really tarnished that effort by lying about the age of the young gymnist, there is no way she is 16, she is 14 like your own Chinese documents and government news agency show she is, the officiating was terrible especially in gymnastics to the benifit of the Chinese atheletes and I feel so bad for the little Chinese girl who actually say in the opening ceremonies being told she wasn'y pretty enough to represent her country, so she had to hind while singing while a "prettier" little girl lipsinked the song she was singing. So your government wasn't quite so humble as to feel the need to be honest no did they?
Now don't get me wrong, I think the Chinese people should be very proud of the job that was done presenting these Olymipics, they were truly wonderful and very well might not ever be outdone.
It's as I said such a shame the Chinese government had to tarnish such a wonderful thing and to tarnish the wonderful image of the Chinese people and their very beautiful country that the world saw.
unfortunately goverments tend to do things that reflect badly on the people of their countries and that includes our goverment.
So I do critisize the Chinese government for their bad actions regarding the Olyimpics I in no way have anything but the utmost respect for the Chinese people themselves. They have such a long and wonderful history that they should be very proud and I think most of the world came away with this same respect and hopefully a better understanding of the Chinese people themselves.
I believe that basically the average person in the world are good people, it's the governments that tend to do things to make us all look bad.
I think as far as the people of the world regardless of where you are from we all want the same thing, a good life and a good future for our children.
Again on the Olympics, to the "people" of China, great job! You should be very proud.

Personally I'm more curious about the padding under the back of his shirt, is that some kind of bullet proof shirt, LOL?
Anyone have any idea about that padding? I've never seen a shirt with padding like that?
Any ideas?

I take it nobody has any commit about that padding under the back of his shirt? I find that more interesting than the stupid statement saying he is "Groping" that woman.
I actually bet that woman bragged to her friends and family that he came into her work, talked to her and maybe even was thrilled that he put his hand on her hip, she probably said he was a gentleman.

Sorry about all the typos in my posts, it's almost 3:30 AM and it's way past my bedtime, LOL.
I do know how to spell "comment" really I do, LOL.

hello!, from rome (the only one); I was afraid to read comments about puritanism; they are nice and agreable; kudos to many of you!

First he is not at the playboy club or a strip club..... he is at a new club in Vegas called the MOON.... that right there should tell you that you can not believe everthing that you read. Second he is a target so every move that makes is going to be photographed and spun in to something to sell papers or mag. whatever they are trying to sell.Third it does not look like he is "aggressively grabbing" her, it looks he is trying to get her attention to order. He is a grown man let him live his live.

Now i would like to correct a couple of thing that were said here. Yes he does have a DUI even his mother admitted to that, but how many people in this country have 2 or 3 even 4? I do not condone drunk driving, i am just saying that everyone here has done something that they knew was wrong, you just might not have gotten caught. We are all human and make mistakes, most or ours are just not posted in every news paper or magazine for the world to read. And Mark spitz only has 7 gold medals in a single olympic game M.P. has 8.

So all in all he is being a guy... young or old... he is hanging out with friends having a good time.