Michael Phelps of the United States Swimmer

One year removed from an embarrassing suspension, Michael Phelps noticed a big change as he arrived for his first long-course meet of the year. He didn't see all those television satellite trucks parked outside the pool.

"There were a lot more live media feeds last year," Phelps said Thursday, breaking into a smile as he met with a small group of reporters, nearly all of them based locally.

Indeed, the Charlotte UltraSwim will be a low-key start to his long-course season -- a striking contrast to this same meet a year ago, when Phelps returned to the sport after a three-month suspension for a published photograph showing him using a marijuana pipe.

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