Gold Medal Couple: Michael Phelps and Australian Swimmer Stephanie Rice

Posted Aug 22, 2008 11:43AM By Michael David Smith (RSS feed)

Filed Under: USA

Michael Phelps has had a pretty good time at the Olympics, and not just because of the eight gold medals. The New York Post reports that Phelps also has had a good time with another Olympian, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice.

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The gory details:

The pumped-up pair clinched and swapped spit at a celebratory bash outside the Olympic Village.
The Baltimore Bullet swooped in for the lip-lock with the 20-year-old brunette just weeks after she split from Aussie swimmer Eamon Sullivan. "All the swimmers are talking about it, and [Sullivan] is cut up about what happened," the source said.

As for Rice, the big news on her in Australia is about, of all things, her Facebook page, which got plenty of attention after she posted pictures of herself that Australia's swimming governing body told her to take down because they were "too raunchy":

Swimming Australia media director Ian Hanson confirmed the organisation had taken the step in consultation with the Beijing-bound Dolphins team management.
"It's something we had counselled them on in the past two years to be careful of," he said. "Some of the photos were somewhat distasteful and we thought it was best that they took a bit more care."

Rice won three gold medals of her own in Beijing. Somehow that didn't get as much attention as the Facebook pictures.

Stephanie Rice Snapshots

BEIJING - AUGUST 19: Stephanie Rice and Michael Phelps relax at the Speedo Sports Club at the Jintai Art Museum on August 19, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Getty Images for Speedo) *** Local Caption *** Stephanie Rice;Michael Phelps

Getty Images for Speedo

Australian swimmer's Eamon Sullivan (L) Lisbeth "Libby" Trickett (2nd L) Grant Hackett (2nd R) and Stephanie Rice (R) attend a photocall for the Speedo Athlete Media Day during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 19, 2008. AFP PHOTO/TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice (L) and US winner of eight swimming gold medals Michael Phelps are pictured during a photocall for the Speedo Athlete Media Day during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 19, 2008. AFP PHOTO/TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

US swimmers Katie Hoff (L) and Dara Torres (R) arrive for a promotional event to celebrate the end of the Olympic swimming programme in Beijing on August 17, 2008. Hoff's ambitious six-event programme at the Beijing Olympics ended without yielding a gold medal as she failed to qualify for the final of the 800m freestyle. She was pipped for gold by Adlington in the 400m freestyle and settled for bronze in the 400m medley as Australian Stephanie Rice reclaimed the world record from the American, and nabbed a bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Torres won silver in the 50-meter women's freestyle event. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice arrives for a promotional event to celebrate the end of the Olympic swimming programme, in Beijing on August 17, 2008. Rice won three gold medals at the Beijing Games and she joined Betty Cuthbert, Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe in equalling the record haul for an Australian at a single Olympics. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Australia's Stephanie Rice (L), Bronte Barratt (R) and Kylie Palmer celebrate after Linda Mackenzie finished first during the women's 4 x 200m freestyle relay swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 14, 2008. Australia set a new world record in the women's 4x200 metres freestyle relay with a time of seven minutes 44.31 seconds in the final at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday. The United States held the previous record at 7:50.09 at last year's world championships in Melbourne. AFP PHOTO / DDP / MICHAEL KAPPELER (Photo credit should read MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Australia's Stephanie Rice (R), Bronte Barratt (C) and Kylie Palmer celebrate after Linda Mackenzie finished first in the women's 4 x 200m freestyle relay swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 14, 2008. Australia set a new world record in the women's 4x200 metres freestyle relay with a time of seven minutes 44.31 seconds in the final at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday. The United States held the previous record at 7:50.09 at last year's world championships in Melbourne. AFP PHOTO / DDP / MICHAEL KAPPELER (Photo credit should read MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)

8-22-2008 @ 12:43PM

Polita Gutierrez said...

What is it with the Media, Don't you guys have anything better to do than Trash people. Did you know that there is a war going on and our US soilders are getting killed? Why don't you write about them instead of WHO KISSED WHO AT THE OLYMPICS.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????

8-22-2008 @ 1:24PM

john said...

Well,
It is medias job to find out dirt about celebrities because childrens look up to them as role model.
Beside they were not trashing him just informing people that Phelps might be heading for a relationship with an Aussie swimmer who won 3 gold medal as well. What's wrong with that?
Beside Phelps don't even have any girlfriend because he is busy spending time with his DOG.
Peace

8-22-2008 @ 2:14PM

jmig said...

Because people like you and I clicked the link and read the story!

8-22-2008 @ 2:45PM

Matt said...

I for one, am EXTREMELY happy that were not dwelling on the war as much, I agree it should be reported, but not during the olympics! This is supposed to be a positive time of year for every country worldwide and to celebrate their abilities, not to have to hear about another bomb going off and the insurgents, but for the athletes that represent our and other country(ies). Thats a completely ridiculous statement! Keep hopw alive, Obama-President-2008.

8-22-2008 @ 2:57PM

wtfarockfish said...

Sadly, at the end of the day the news is not meant to inform, it is meant to entertain, because as im sure your're aware, advertizing makes the 'news' tick; they are simply reacting to user demand..

8-22-2008 @ 3:11PM

Carlos de Vasconcellos said...

What a warped sense of values you have, to consider murder and maiming in an illegal war of aggression more important than people kissing!

8-22-2008 @ 3:19PM

Patrick said...

Why is every time AOL or some other online source of news runs a fluff piece there is almost always someone griping about how the reporter and ALL of us should be spending more time focused on the war?

I spend plenty of time thinking about the war. If you hadn't noticed, there are tons of 24/7 news outlets that cover the war non-stop. The same with the election, the same with the economy. Same with Russia's invasion of Georgia...and on and on.

So what is wrong with tossing a little fluff our way every now and then. Phelps and this Aussie are both celebrities of the moment and all this report is saying is that they apparently are getting friendly with each other. Its not as if there is a sex video that has been released or Paris Hilton is anywhere to be found in the text of the story.

So I would say, lighten up. I think we can all handle seeing a trivial piece of info like this alongside all our wall to wall serious news coverage.

8-22-2008 @ 4:57PM

S. said...

chill out! cant u see that nobody wants to talk about the war???? it's too depressing! and nobody's gonna trash phelps for dating someone. everyone dates people. they might say, "american dating an aussie?" or " lucky you, you're dating a beautiful swimmer." it's not really trashing!

8-22-2008 @ 4:53PM

Bob said...

Ok, so what's the problem with the media reporting on extra curricular activities after hours between 2 swimmers? I'm not defending the media, but, let's face it, the media didn't put us at war in Iraq, George "Howdy-Doody" Bush did!

8-22-2008 @ 7:12PM

Ryan said...

The media covers a target grp of people who may be interested in things like sports and gossip instead of reading stuff about violence among other various subjects. That's why there's a sports section in your news paper along w/money and life blah blah. If you're interested in reading stuff about the war then read articles about the war. IMO don't tell the media how to do their job because if they made you read about certain things then they would go out of buisness. The gossip media is probably one of the biggest $ makers out there for this industry BTW.

8-22-2008 @ 8:26PM

Kim said...

I so agree with you.. Our soldiers are giving their lives, and no one seems to care but their family and friends.

8-22-2008 @ 1:21PM

T.J. said...

Good for him and good for her. She is hot. Why is this anyone's business but theirs? Why do we let the media do this to us and other people. He doesn't deserve this from the country that he busted his butt to represent.

8-22-2008 @ 2:19PM

wweebles said...

good for them

8-22-2008 @ 2:52PM

TiredOfTheCrap said...

This is bulls*it! One day you look at the news and Phelps is gay.. The next day he's in love with his dog. Now he has a girlfriend. Who cares??? I'm tired of the news media trashing anybody who gains notoriety . Maybe we should turn the tables and find out the dirt on those who wrote this article? I saw Michael David Smith in a car the other day getting his dick sucked by a male prostitute. It seems anybody can trash anybody if they are famous. Maybe it's about time we pass laws against this crap?

8-23-2008 @ 6:09PM

Bernice Chandler said...

Please let these people have their privacy. People don't have to know EVERYTHING about these athletes. I'm just happy that Michael won all that gold for the United States. That is the way we should all feel. Congratulations, Michael and God bless you.