Smiling, relaxed Michael Phelps happy to end retirement and race again

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Michael Phelps, right, speaks to the media after practice as coach Bob Bowman listens Wednesday, April 23, 2014, in Mesa, Ariz. Phelps is competing in the Arena Grand Prix at Mesa on Thursday as he returns to competitive swimming after a nearly two-year retirement. (AP Photo/Matt York)

MESA, Ariz. – Michael Phelps is making a comeback after nearly two years out of competitive swimming for the simplest of reasons: he missed it.

The 22-time Olympic medallist says he’s been having fun and smiling a lot during training in his hometown of Baltimore. Having shed the weight he piled on since retiring after the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps will resume his career starting Thursday at a meet in Arizona. He’ll swim the 100-meter butterfly, having dropped his plans to compete in the 100 freestyle the same day.

Phelps was noncommittal about whether his comeback would lead to swimming in the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, he admits that if he wants to compete at the highest level, he has to be ready by this summer.

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