PORTLAND, Ore. – Michael Phelps has been suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming, the latest fallout from a photo that showed the Olympic great inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
The sport's national governing body also cut off its financial support to Phelps for the same three-month period, effective Thursday.
"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the federation said in a statement.
"Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."
Also on Thursday, Kellogg Co. said it will drop Phelps' endorsement deal.
Most of his major sponsors, such as Visa Inc., Speedo, luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega and sports beverage PureSport's maker Human Performance Labs, stood by the athlete following the news, even if they didn't condone his behavior.
But Battle Creek, Mich.-based cereal and snack maker Kellogg said Phelps's behavior is "not consistent with the image of Kellogg."
Phelps's agent was not immediately available to comment.
Kellogg had contracts with Phelps and other Olympic athletes to support its association with the U.S. Olympic team. The company said in a statement that it will not renew its contract with Phelps, which expires at the end of February.
The company did not renew its deal with the US Olympic Team, which expired in December.
Kellogg would not disclose the value of its deal with Phelps.
But experts have said that after Phelps won eight gold medals, he scored millions in endorsement deals, including the one that placed him on boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes.
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