Phelps wins sympathy from snowboarder Rebagliati

By Allan Dowd

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A Canadian snowboarder who nearly lost his Olympic gold medal in a marijuana controversy has come to the defense of U.S. Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps, who has also found himself in a pot-related squabble.

Ross Rebagliati said on Wednesday he is not surprised by the controversy that erupted after a photograph was published that purports to show Phelps smoking marijuana, but said the public and media need to put the incident in context.

"I think Michael Phelps is an incredibly talented athlete and it's a shame the media is choosing to focus and scrutinize one photo taken months ago at a private college party. The guy has 14 Olympic medals," Rebagliati said.................

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