Michael Phelps, the 19-year old American swimming phenom who set the Athens Olympic pool alight with a sextuple-golden performance apologized publically today for a DUI arrest last week in Maryland.

Associated Press reports state that Phelps failed to heed a stop sign in his SUV last Thursday evening, and was subsequently pulled over by a Maryland state trooper who determined that Phelps was driving under the influence of alcohol. In total, Phelps received four citations: driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired for alcohol, violation for a license restriction, and failure to obey a traffic control advice.

Phelps told the Associated Press it was important for him to go public with this information. "I made a mistake and I wanted to share my feelings about it. Getting into a car with anything to drink is wrong. It's dangerous and it's unacceptable. I'm 19, but was taught that no matter how old you are, you take responsibility for actions, which I will do. I'm extremely sorry."

Following his amazing performance in Athens, Phelps became one of the most recognized athletes in the United States, a distinction not usually granted to swimmers. For the first time since Spitz, USA Swimming had a face the American public could readily associate with the sport. Carrying the hopes of extoling the virtues of USA Swimming on his broad shoulders, Phelps and fellow Olympic gold medalists Lenny Krayzelburg and Ian Crocker embarked on a wildly successful cross-country swimming exhibition tour, the likes of which had prior been unprecedented in the sport.

In a statement that appeared to be aimed towards Phelps fans and supporters across the country, and the young kids that took up swimming because of him post-Athens, Phelps' Coach Bob Bowman said to ESPN Magazine, "He had everything going for him. Such a lapse in judgement. I'm sorry for everyone who supported him, which is everyone. He let himself down; he let us all down."

Bowman, now coaching at the University of Michigan, where Phelps is to join him shortly to resume training, remains hopeful though that his charge will learn from his mistakes and move forward, telling ESPN Magazine, "I would hope that he's going to use this and turn it into a positive so that other people can learn from his mistakes. My great hope is that he can be a stronger person, and a better person, and get back on track to do the things he's born to do."