Michael Phelps parties hard in NY nightclub

After scaling the mountain last August in China, Michael Phelps is getting rather too fond of scouring the valleys.

Since the bong-gate incident hit the fan back in January, the eight-time Olympian has been keeping a low profile — or so we had thought. But according to the NY Post, it seems he’s cut loose and is hitting the clubs in New York – Hard. On Tuesday night he was spied at the Marquee in Chelsea, and the great man was not sipping water. “Michael was definitely having a good time,” a source told reporters. “He was drinking straight from a bottle of Grey Goose, then started dancing like a loon, yelling, ‘Shots!’”Other guests were also rather unsettled by some hot-and-heavy petting between Phelps and his lady, Caroline Pal (photo above), “They wouldn’t stop making out!” says the insider. “They were literally sucking face, not caring that anyone was watching,” And far be it from us to even suggest that such relaxation could be connected to the four bottles of big-ticket Vodka Phelps ordered that night.

The swimming star did hit one bad turn at the club, however; Spotting UConn basketball player Hasheem Thabeet in the crowd, Phelps made a point to say hi….and got totally dissed! “Hasheem had no clue who Michael was, and Phelps walked away looking really embarrassed,” the clubber recalls.

Mr. Phelps, 24, is supposedly in NYC to be with his Mom, as he’s now said to be back in training. But this new regime seems to require late nights, as her Bejiing baby was seen climbing into a cab at 2.30am to continue the night at the home of a friend.

When the press called him out on the bong, Michael’s official apology said he’d practiced, “behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment.” If even half of these latest reports pan out to be true, his next ‘mea culpa’ should be a work of pure gold.