Three French athletes killed in reality show helicopter crash: Report

Three French athletes were among 10 people killed Monday in a helicopter crash while filming a reality TV show in Argentina.

Olympic swimmer Camille Muffat, Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine and yachtswoman Florence Arthaud all perished when two helicopters used in the filming of the TV survival show "Dropped" collided in a remote northwest location in Argentina.

The popular French reality show flies celebrities into rough terrain by helicopter and films their attempts to find food and shelter.

During filming, the three sports stars, both Argentine pilots and five members of the production staff were killed when the helicopters they were on collided in mid-air with another in La Rioja province, BBC reported.

The 25-year-old Muffat was the former world record holder in the 400 and 800 SCM freestyle. In 2012, she was named the French Sportswoman of the Year.

Vastine was a bronze medal winner for France at the 2008 Games in Beijing and champion sailor Arthaud won the Route du Rhum in 1990.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Michael Phelps loses to Ryan Lochte in first comeback meet

Michael Phelps' first competitive dip into the pool after retiring might have been a second-place effort — but it still had all the splash that only the 22-time Olympic medalist can make.

Since Phelps entertained thoughts of defending his Olympic titles in Brazil, there was the matter of qualifying for the national championships in Southern California in August.

On Thursday night,  Phelps lost his first race to Ryan Lochte in the 100-meter butterfly final at the Arena Grand Prix.

It was Phelps’s first race in 628 days — since his butterfly leg in the gold-medal-winning 4x100 medley relay at the London Olympics in 2012 — and it attracted a sellout crowd of 1,200 Thursday at the Skyline Aquatic Center.

Lochte touched first in 51.93 seconds, second-fastest in the world this year. Phelps took second in 52.13 in his first meet since retiring after the London Games.

"I swam a final again," a smiling Phelps said later. "I said I wanted to be around 52.0 and I would be completely happy with that."

He is the three-time Olympic champion and current world record-holder in the event. His time tied for fourth-quickest in the world.

"It's one meet; it's one race," Phelps said. "It's a long way whether I decide to continue or not."

Phelps was faster in the final than he was while winning his preliminary heat with a time of 52.84.

Swimming before packed stands and lots of media, Lochte led at the turn and Phelps was second.

"Down there at the turn I kind of peeked over and I saw him and almost started smiling," Lochte said about his longtime friend and rival.

Phelps interjected, "Why? Because you were ahead?"

Next up for Phelps is the 50 freestyle on Friday, when he will swim the prelims doing the butterfly stroke for training.

Michael Phelps sparks comeback rumors after posting 'training' photo with long-time coach

Michael Phelps posted a photograph online of himself training with his long-time coach, fueling rumors he could be planning a comeback.

The image, which the Olympian uploaded to his Instagram account on Monday, shows him by the pool at the Meadowbrook Aquatic Center in Baltimore with his old swimming coach, Bob Bowman.

"One on one training session with @coach_bowman!!!" he wrote beneath the photograph.

The posting had fans flocking to the page to share their excitement at a possible comeback, demanding to know if the champion would be returning to the Olympic pool in Rio in 2016 in spite of his retirement last year.

But speaking to Swimming World, Bowman insisted that the photos were only for a photo shoot with one of Phelps' sponsors, believed to be Speedo, rather than a training session.

It is not the first time there have been rumors surrounding a possible return.

The 27-year-old Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history with 22 medals including 18 golds, hung up his swimming goggles immediately after The London Games last summer.

But last month, it was reported that Phelps is planning to return to swimming with the intention of competing in the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

"The greatest Olympian of all time isn't hanging up his swimsuit, after all," wrote reporter Peter Busch, who is the son of Frank Busch, director of the U.S. national swim team.

While Phelps did not outright deny the comeback, he downplayed the article.

"Why do I keep getting texts about coming back?" he tweeted. "Do [people] really believe everything they hear or read? There are [too] many [people] in the world that think they have a story."

Busch stood by his report. "Guess we'll see," he tweeted.

Either way, Phelps still looks likje he's in Olympic shape.

Prince Harry charms swimmer Missy Franklin with 'Happy Birthday' serenade

There has been no shortage of women for Prince Harry to choose from since he touched down in Washington, D.C. for his tour of America this week. Harrymania seems to follow him everywhere he goes.

But, from the looks of this photo, it seems like England's most eligible bachelor paid special attention to one smitten lady — U.S. Olympic swimming star Missy Franklin.

Yesterday, the Royal Prince sang "Happy Birthday" to the four-time Olympic gold medalist who turned 18, at a British-themed drinks reception in Colorado, where she lives.  He also chatted up British business executives and met fellow military officers. She later tweeted about it.

And the perfect way to end my 18th birthday!? Meeting Prince Harry! It was a honor meeting him and I… instagram.com/p/ZKGpAVQyQ_/
— Missy Franklin (@FranklinMissy) May 11, 2013

While the Prince has been bombarded by women on his nine-day visit to the States — where he has laid a wreath for fallen American soldiers, chatted with some of the wounded at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, visited a town devastated by Hurricane Sandy and paid tribute to his mother, Princess Diana, at the White House — he is doing a little more work than play on this jaunt.

Harry, who served with an elite squadron of Apache helicopter pilots in Afghanistan last year, was criticized for being caught with his pants down in Las Vegas the last time he was visiting.

No matter what you think of that whole Royal Family thing across the pond, there's something really likable about this guy.

Michael Phelps back in dating pool sporting new look

It looks like Michael Phelps is doing just fine after his split from aspiring model Megan Rossee right before New Year's.

The 27-year-old Olympic swimmer was spotted by TMZ sporting a porn stache and hipster glasses while flirting with a number of girls at where else ... poolside.

Sources told TMZ that Phelps was hanging out Friday by a pool in the Bahamas, smoking cigars with his buds and hitting on a cute woman in a yellow shirt.

Looks like Phelps just scored another gold.

Ryan Lochte calls 'SNL' parody of him 'pretty harsh'

Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte's response to the impersonation of him on a "Saturday Night Live" skit as a bubble-headed athlete was that it was "pretty harsh."  The laid back swimmer added that being impersonated by "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane during Seth Meyers "Weekend Update" was also "pretty cool."

MacFarlane, wearing a red olympic-style sports jersey and gold and silver medals, portrayed Lochte being interviewed by Meyers and mispronouncing the names of new NBC shows on the fall schedule.

He calls one show "Monkey Hospital" instead of "Animal Practice" and says, "It's a show about a monkey in a hospital.  It's so funny!"  he gives the show three swims but holds up two fingers.

Later, he mispronounces Matthew Perry's new comedy series "Go On" as "Goon."  After Meyers corrects MacFarlane's character, he pronounces "good' as "go-od."

Lochte told the Website Celebuzz, "Well, I gotta admit that was a pretty harsh one, but it's cool to have Seth parody me.  I think he pegged me wrong."

The swimmer — who has an upcoming cameo on NBC's "30 Rock" — added," It's all in fun, and of course, if I'm talked about on 'SNL,' I know they are gonna get me 'go-od.'"

Michael Phelps' mystery girlfriend is model Megan Rossee

The mystery woman Michael Phelps was spotted leaving with at a London party at 4 a.m. Sunday night has been revealed.  The blond-haired beauty is model Megan Rossee and the two have been quietly dating for five months according to the website Hollyscoop.

The Olympic swimmer was spotted leaving a London club after celebrating his 4x100 gold medal Sunday night with his teammates.  Phelps exited the party with a bunch of gold medals over his neck and the unidentified Rossee on his arm and jumped into a waiting SUV— leading to a lot of speculation about who she was.

Phelps is notoriously quiet about his love life but it appears Rossee couldn't keep it a secret any longer.  She went public with their relationship by posting photos of them on Instagram.  As usual,  he was still holding a bundle of medals.

The couple have reportedly been an item for over five months.

"She and Phelps started dating in January (2012) and things started to heat up just prior to the Olympics," a source told Hollyscoop.

The 5'9" former cocktail waitress— who describes herself on Facebook as a "model and actress"— has posted sexy photos of herself (with her friends) on Twitter and her nickname for the human dolphin is "Bear."

Phelps flew Rossee to London for the Olympics and now she can help lug the hardware back.

Michael Phelps leaves party with mystery woman and gold medals

Michael Phelps continued to collect gold even after his 2012 Olympics was over.  The swimmer was seen leaving a "boozy" London party with a golden-haired mystery woman after celebrating at the exclusive House of St. Barnabas-in-Soho, according to The New York Post.

Phelps celebrated his 4x100 meter relay victory with his teammates and he kept the party going by getting into a waiting SUV at around 4 a.m. with his blue-eyed beauty with the red, white and blue fingernails.

The couple reportedly smuggled a couple of bottles of Stella Artois into their ride while a triumphant Phelps showed off some of his gold medals for the cameras.

The leggy-woman was a little more camera-shy and hid from the photographers but, once inside the car, she smiled seductively.

Even though the 27-year old Phelps' Olympic career is over, the swimmer said he still woke up at his usual 6 a.m. training time.

"I only had three or four hours of sleep last night, then I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep," he said.

It sounds like Phelps is having a hard time with retirement already and he still has to wait 38 more years for social security benefits.

"It's kinda weird. It's very strange, the first day of not having to swim and never having it again," he said.  "I'm not sure right now how I feel.  It's really confusing."

Phelps said he plans to spend his first day of retirement with his biggest fan, his mother Debbie, and would not be going near a pool except to watch the Olympics and world championships.

The competitive part of my career is over, but it doesn't mean my involvement with swimming is over," he said.  "I'm still going to be involved, but looking at it from the outside."

I'm sure there will be other mystery woman coming in and out of Phelps' new life of leisure. Wearing a bundle of gold medals around your neck can't hurt.

Ryan Lochte admits to peeing in the pool

It might be best to avoid the pool after swimmer Ryan Lochte has been paddling around in it.  The American Olympic swimmer, who has won five medals at the London Games, has admitted to urinating in the pool.

"Not during the the Olympic races," the swimmer told U.S. broadcaster Ryan Seacrest.  "But I sure did in warmups."

Everyone said he was a whiz in the water.

Asked by Seacrest, during a live radio broadcast, if he ever "went" in the pool, the glib Lochte laughed, "Of course, we all do."

Why does the 27-year old Lochte do it?

"I think there's just something about getting into the chlorine that you just automatically go."

I don't think we're going to be seeing to many swimmers take their pre-game sips from the water anymore— especially when they see Lochte aimlessly floating around the pool with a relieved grin on his face.

It's unclear what made Lochte admit in public to taking a leak while wearing his Speedos but— after his mother told the world her son is a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of guy— all I have to say is TMI from this family.