And leave it to the Americans to immediately make an ass of themselves.

Apparently a rumor floated around Beijing that Amanda Beard, winner of seven Olympics medals between 1996 and this year, was dating Michael Phelps. Oh contraire, our little friend Amanda said! Not a chance in hell!

” … (Beard told the) “Johnjay and Rich in the Morning” that she would never date Phelps because she has “really good taste. Beard, 26, even responded with a vehement, “Ew. That’s nasty,” when asked if she has ever held his hand.

And then she dug a bigger grave …

“Come on, I have really good taste,” Beard said. “He’s really not my type.”

She would have added more, but Amanda needed to get to the Hannah Montana concert.

We don’t disagree too much - Phelps is kind of a goofy guy, but there is a way to deal with these things - just ask Justin Gimelstob.

Wait, Justin’s single. Amanda, you game?