web1_GreggAllman_cropped.jpg

Gregg Allman cancels appearances at Peach Music Festival, other tour dates

web1_TTL080816jude.picnic.jpg

Quilt to be raffled at St. Jude picnic

<p>RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) &#8212; After the American men&#8217;s 4x100-meter relay team won gold, Michael Phelps reached down to help anchorman Nathan Adrian out of the pool.</p><p>While he did it, millions of Americans watching at home saw several purple dots on his back and shoulder.</p><p>Some kind of new tattoo? Did he take a nap on a bed of tennis balls?</p><p>No, the circles are the result of cupping, a therapy technique that athletes use to help their muscles recover and perform at their best. It involves a therapist heating small glass cups, then placing them on the skin and pulling them from the body to loosen and relax the muscles.</p><p>Some experts are skeptical of the treatment&#8217;s effectiveness, but Phelps has been using it regularly for a while. And the 31-year-old, swimming in his fifth Olympics, delivered on Sunday night.</p><p>With infant son Boomer watching from the second deck, the American superstar summoned a performance for the ages to propel Team USA to gold &#8212; the 19th of Phelps&#8217; career.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_111784615-71e4f34f5b844dc6bd467765e14dbc7d-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">United States' Michael Phelps competes in the final of the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_111784615-71e4f34f5b844dc6bd467765e14dbc7d-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>United States' Michael Phelps competes in the final of the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_111784615-9e614fcdd99e43a584a0813ceb83b381-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Caeleb Dressel, right, Michael Phelps, left, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian, in the pool, from the United States celebrate winning the final of the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_111784615-9e614fcdd99e43a584a0813ceb83b381-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Caeleb Dressel, right, Michael Phelps, left, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian, in the pool, from the United States celebrate winning the final of the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By JON KRAWCZYNSKI</p><p>AP Sports Writer</p></bylineMeta></div>

Why does Michael Phelps have purple spots on his back?