Report of World Championship chance catches Michael Phelps off-guard

Suggestions that Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps could yet compete at this year`s World Championships in Russia just won`t go away.

The door appeared to be shut on Wednesday when Phelps himself said he accepted USA Swimming`s decision to drop him from the team in the wake of his drunk-driving arrest last September.

Phelps said he and coach Bob Bowman were targeting the US national championships in San Antonio, Texas, in August.

And the 18-time Olympic gold medallist seemed taken aback on Thursday after learning of a report out of Europe that world governing body FINA might be willing to offer him a special invitation to the Worlds in Kazan, Russia, also in August.

"This is news to me," Phelps said. "I`m here to swim here right now, and that`s what I`m focused on. I don`t know what to expect in the future."

Phelps is swimming in Mesa, in suburban Phoenix, for the first time since serving a six-month USA Swimming suspension.

He acknowledged that the additional punishment of missing the worlds was "painful" but said Wednesday he didn`t want to cause a distraction or cost another American a place on the World Championship team.