London 2012: Michael Phelps admits to urinating in pools and says it's 'normal'

Gold-winning medallist Michael Phelps has said that he has relieved himself in a swimming pool before.

The 18-time gold medallist has backed team-mate Ryan Lochte, who caused controversy when he said he had used the aquatics centre pool as a lavatory.

Phelps, 27, said it was no big deal: “Everybody pees in the pool. It’s kind of a normal thing to do for swimmers. When we’re in the water for two hours, we don’t really get out to pee. Chlorine kills it so it’s not bad.”

Lochte, 28, who has won five Olympic golds, said: “I think there’s just something about getting into chlorine water that you just automatically go.” Asked if he did that during the 2012 Games, he replied: “Not during the races, but I sure did before in warm-up.”

It is not clear what Phelps’s new girlfriend thinks of his unusual toilet habits. He has quietly been dating Los Angeles-based aspiring model and actress Megan Rossee, 25, for six months. She was spotted leaving House of St Barnabas-in-Soho with Phelps at 4am on Sunday after celebrating his medal successes.

Rossee reportedly supplements her modelling with work as a waitress at Hollywood’s Blok nightclub.