Ad May Cost Phelps Medals

Talk about bad timing. Olympic record-breaker Michael Phelps could technically lose his gold after a Louis Vuitton ad he starred in was released last week. According to the Olympic governing body, athletes could not participate in non-Olympic ads between July 18 and Aug. 15. Louis Vuitton claims it did not release the ad prior to the agreed-upon date of Aug. 16, but the picture of Speedo-clad Phelps in a bathtub started spreading across the Web last week. The rule stipulates that athletes could be stripped of their medals for participation in such ads, but other punishments are less severe. The Olympic executive board can also make exceptions, so only time will tell if Phelps remains with the most medals in Olympic history.