Suspended sentence for swimmer Phelps

Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps has pleaded guilty to drunken driving almost three months after he was arrested.

Phelps entered his plea to a charge of driving under the influence on Friday morning.

He was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended providing he is on good behaviour for a year and a half.

The 18-time gold medallist was arrested on September 30.

Documents show that the 29-year-old Phelps was leaving the Horseshoe Casino in downtown Baltimore when he was pulled over for speeding and crossing the double yellow line while driving in a tunnel.

Police say Phelps registered a reading of 0.14 per cent on a blood-alcohol test. The legal limit to drive is 0.08 per cent in Maryland.

A week after his arrest, USA Swimming suspended Phelps for six months.

Phelps entered a six-week treatment program in October.

This is his second DUI conviction. Phelps pleaded guilty to drunken driving in 2004 in another Maryland county.