Michael Phelps the most decorated olympian, may lose his medals as his ads for Louis Vuitton (above) were unveiled at a time he was unable to participate in non-Olympic marketing. He's seen in a bath with the brand's bag beside him.
Two photographs of the athlete were posted on various websites on August 13.
One showed Mr Phelps posing in a bathtub as the brand's signature bag sat slumped on the floor beside him while another showed him on a couch, sharing a laugh with former Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina, 77.
By posing for the Louis Vuitton campaign images that surfaced on Twitter on August 13, 2012, the U.S. Olympic swimmer may be stripped of his medals, four gold and two silver, from the London 2012 Games. reported dailymail.
According to Rule 40, a regulation introduced by IOC earlier this year, no athlete was able to participate in non-Olympic marketing campaigns from July 18 to August 15, 2012.
The official IOC rule states: 'A competitor or a team may lose the benefit of any ranking obtained in relation to other events at the Olympic Games at which he or it was disqualified or excluded; in such case the medals and diplomas won by him or it shall be returned to the IOC.'
If the photographs were in fact due for release on August 16 and a rogue individual had simply leaked them, Mr Phelps will be in the clear. But if the photos were in fact leaked intentionally by the brand, the sporting hero will face punishment.
The French fashion house said after the two photos, snapped by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, had leaked that they were in fact unofficial images and were stolen from the company.
Mr Phelps' management team have also denied releasing the images.
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