US swimming hero Michael Phelps, who won a whopping 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympic games, is returning to China to promote Japanese car Mazda. He will not only star in the ad campaigns for the car maker, but also make personal appearances.

Phelps signed a seven-figure deal with DMG Entertainment, which is a Los Angeles-based Chinese firm, a division of Chinese media. It is the most lucrative Chinese sponsorship deal for a Western celebrity ever.

Phelps also has deals with Visa, Rosetta Stone and Speedo. He was arrested in 2004 for drunk driving, but he had been driving a Land Rover at the time.