Michael Phelps faces new race against IRS bill

 Despite a net worth said to be around $50-million and rising, Olympian star Michael Phelps is now facing an entirely new challenge – TMZ says the IRS have stuck him with a five-figure tax bill.

A tax lien filed last year by the state of California against the 14-time Olympic gold medalist demands $23,289.16 in overdue taxes for 2005 and 2006. Three years later the bill is unpaid, and the feds can foreclose on his house if they don’t get the cash.
And this isn’t the first time the 24-year old champ has faced stormy waters – Early this year his golden image was tarnished after photos surfaced of him with a bong, which won him a three-month suspension from swimming. And in August he was involved in minor fender-bender in Baltimore and scored a $40 citation when he showed the cops an out-of-state license.
Last week he also competed in five races at a swim meet in Stockholm and failed to win even one. In three of the races he didn’t even make it through to the finals. And what was dolphin-boy’s reason for this sluggish performance?
“I’ll be the first to admit I’m not in the greatest shape…But I am going to get up and race as hard as I can, I tell you that.” he told the press.
With a recent history like that, he’ll need to work even harder to get the IRS off his back…