Michael Phelps was "extremely lucky" to escape with only a three-month ban from competition after a photograph was published appearing to show him smoking marijuana, Australian Olympic champion Libby Trickett told a newspaper here on Saturday.
USA Swimming announced the suspension after the picture of the multi-Olympic champion appeared in a British newspaper.
The organisation said it wanted to send a "strong message" to the swimmer about his status as a role model for young people.
But Trickett said the penalty was too lenient considering the three-month suspension won't lead to the Olympic star missing any major competition and he would remain eligible to compete at the world championships in Rome in July.
"Personally, I think he's extremely lucky and if it had fallen under anti-doping laws, the penalty could have been double and that would have cost him a spot at the worlds," Trickett told the Daily Telegraph.
"He's got to face up to the responsibilities that come with being a role model and this is simply unacceptable behaviour from someone with his stature and profile in sport.
"Hopefully, he can learn from the mistake and it's a pretty big fall from grace after what he achieved in Beijing" at the 2008 Olympics, where the American won an unprecedented eight gold medals.
"It takes some of the shine off his spectacular performances in Beijing and this behaviour simply isn't okay."
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