Phelps, Michael

▪ 2005

      At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, as he won a record eight swimming medals, American Michael Phelps showed why many considered him the world's dominant swimmer. Entering the Games amid high expectations and intense media scrutiny, Phelps remained focused enough to capture six gold medals (200-m and 400-m individual medley, 100-m and 200-m butterfly, 4 × 200-m freestyle relay, and 4 × 100-m medley relay) and two bronze (200-m freestyle and 4 × 100-m freestyle relay) while setting five Olympic or world records. His four individual swimming gold medals tied a record set by American Mark Spitz in 1972. Phelps also made news out of the pool when he gave up his spot on the medley-relay team to Ian Crocker, who had not yet earned a gold in Athens. Because Phelps had swum in the preliminary heats, he was awarded a gold medal when the U.S. won the event.

      Phelps was born on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Md., and grew up in a family of swimmers. At age seven he joined the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, a prestigious swim club, and in 1996 he signed with a trainer and coach, Bob Bowman, who played an influential role in Phelps's later success. In 2000 Phelps finished fifth in the 200-m butterfly at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. At the 2001 U.S. spring nationals, after posting 1 min 54.92 sec in the 200-m butterfly, he became, at age 15, the youngest world-record holder in men's swimming. He improved on his time to win his first international title later that year at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. After turning professional and earning the Swimmer of the Year title from USA Swimming in 2001, Phelps was a standout at the 2002 Pan Pacific championships as he claimed five medals, including three gold (200-m and 400-m individual medley and 4 × 100-m medley relay).

      In 2003 Phelps established his supremacy in the pool with a string of record-setting performances. At the U.S. spring nationals, he became the first male swimmer to claim titles in three different strokes at a single national championship, and he later broke an unprecedented five individual world records at the world championships in Barcelona, Spain. Phelps, noted for having an intense training regime, also captured five titles at the U.S. summer nationals—the most won by a male swimmer at a single championship; he repeated the feat at the 2004 spring nationals. Phelps finished 2003 ranked first in the world in the 200-m butterfly and the 200-m and 400-m individual medley, and he received the Sullivan Award and his second U.S. Swimmer of the Year honour. Shortly after the Athens Games, Phelps announced that he was already training for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where many believed he would challenge Spitz's record of seven Olympic gold medals at a single Games.

Amy Tikkanen

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▪ American swimmer

born June 30, 1985, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

 

 American swimmer, who won a record eight swimming gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

      Phelps was raised in a family of swimmers and joined the prestigious North Baltimore Aquatic Club at age seven. He finished fifth in the 200-metre butterfly at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. At the 2001 U.S. spring nationals he became, at age 15, the youngest world-record holder in men's swimming when he posted 1 min 54.92 sec in the 200-metre butterfly. He went on that year to win his first international title at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. He claimed five medals at the 2002 Pan Pacific championships, including three gold (200-metre and 400-metre individual medley and 4 × 100-metre medley relay). At the U.S. spring nationals in 2003, he became the first male swimmer to claim titles in three different strokes at a single national championship, and he later broke an unprecedented five individual world records at the world championships in Barcelona, Spain. Phelps also captured five titles at the U.S. summer nationals—the most won by a male swimmer at a single championship.

  At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Phelps captured six gold medals (200-metre and 400-metre individual medley, 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly, 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay, and 4 × 100-metre medley relay) and two bronze medals (200-metre freestyle and 4 × 100-metre freestyle relay) while setting five Olympic or world records. His four individual swimming gold medals tied a record set by American Mark Spitz (Spitz, Mark) at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Phelps continued to dominate the sport at the 2007 world championships in Melbourne, where he won seven gold medals (200-metre and 400-metre individual medley, 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly, 200-metre freestyle, and 4 × 100-metre and 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay) and set five world records. With his seven titles, Phelps tied Spitz for most wins at a major international meet.

      Phelps entered the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with the goal of breaking Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Olympics. He took the gold in each of his first three events—the 400-metre individual medley, the 4 ×100-metre freestyle relay, and the 200-metre freestyle—and each victory took place in world record time. On August 13 he won golds in the 200-metre butterfly and the 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay to capture his 10th and 11th career gold medals, a new Olympic record. Phelps then won his sixth gold of the Beijing Games by breaking his own world record in the 200-metre individual medley. He tied Spitz's record by winning the 100-metre butterfly final by 0.01 second and broke the mark as a member of the victorious American 4 × 100-metre medley relay team. All told, Phelps set world records in all but one (the 100-metre butterfly) of his eight gold-medal-winning events.

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