Michael Phelps

NEWS: Olympian Michael Phelps announced this morning that he will put part of his $1 million bonus for tying Mark Spitz’s seven gold medals into a foundation to encourage the growth of swimming.

Phelps earned the bonus from Speedo after he tied Spitz’s 36-year record of seven gold medals in a single Games. He then beat the mark, winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics last month.

This morning, the 23-year-old Baltimorean told NBC’s “Today Show” host Matt Lauer that he will travel to eight cities in the United States to promote swimming among children.

The brief TV announcement did not address whether his plans to promote swimming would involve buying North Baltimore Aquatic Club’s Meadowbrook pool. Last month, Phelps told NBC’s Nightly News that he and coach Bob Bowman had bought a pool in Baltimore and were looking to change the sport of swimming. Bowman was named NBAC’s chief executive officer and is expected to start the job this month.

from: baltimoresun.com