New York, July 23 : Female MMA champion Ronda Rousey has blasted
swimming superstar Michael Phelps for his snobby behaviour at the 2008
Beijing Olympics where she competed for the United States in judo.
Phelps was "kept separate" from his fellow Olympians at social functions
while basketball stars like Kobe Bryant mixed and mingled like everyone
else, Rousey said in a video on EsNewsReporting. com.
Rousey said when all the U. S. Olympians went on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Phelps, who won eight golds and more medals than anyone else at those Games, was isolated from the group by his handlers.
"Michael Phelps had to be kept separate in the backstage area so he
wouldn''t be harassed by the other Olympians," the New York Post quoted
Rousey as saying.
"I don't like being somebody's teammate and being treated like their
groupie. I didn't even want to go out of my way and go say hi to that
guy. Just get over yourself. All you do is swim. If someone slapped you
every time you jump in the pool, I would have a little more respect. But
I was a swimmer before I did this [expletive], so you can''t even tell
me swimming is this, `Oh my God,' because I've done it before," she
stated.
Rousey said Phelps' behaviour in Beijing "annoyed" her.
When all the U. S. Olympians went out to a club, Phelps was again kept
in a private section. Bryant, on the other hand, was "cool," she said.
"All these NBA players are a bigger deal than [Phelps] and they're all
hanging out with the rest of us. I was like, `Hello, we're your
teammates.' We're not a bunch of groupies. Come hang out with us. Who
the hell are you?" she added. (ANI)