Michael Phelps Profile

14-time Olympic Gold medalist (most by any Olympian), who currently holds seven world records in swimming.

He holds the record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics; a total of eight, surpassing Mark Spitz. He also shares the record (with Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin) of the most medals (of any type) at a single Olympics—eight, which Phelps has accomplished twice, at Athens in 2004 and at Beijing in 2008.

Overall, Phelps has won 16 Olympic medals: six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and 8 gold at Beijing in 2008, seven of those set world record times. He currently ranks second in total career Olympic medals, after Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina, who won a total of 18 medals (nine gold) spanning three Olympic Games.

Phelps' international titles, along with his various world records, have resulted in him being awarded the World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007 and American Swimmer of the Year Award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.

Phelps has won a total of 48 career medals thus far: 40 gold, six silvers and two bronze. This includes all of the Championships in which he has competed: The Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps competed in eight swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, winning gold medals in all of them and breaking seven world records and one Olympic record.