Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985) is an American swimmer who has won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, winning more medals than any other athlete at both of these Olympic Games. He has twice equaled the record eight medals of any type at a single Olympics achieved by Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. His five gold medals in individual events tied the single Games record set by compatriot Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics; his eight at the 2008 Beijing Games surpassed American swimmer Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at Munich in 1972. Phelps' Olympic medal total is second only to the 18 Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won over three Olympics, including nine gold. Phelps also holds the all-time record for! most gold Olympic medals (14), as well as the record for most gold medals in individual events (9) . Phelps's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award six times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eight times. He has won a total of sixty-six medals in major international competition, fifty-four gold, nine silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award. The same magazine said that he is "universally recognized as the greatest swimmer in history".[6] After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. As a participant in the US Anti-Doping Agency's "Project Believe" program, Phelps is regularly tested to ensure that his system ! is clean of performance-enhancing drugs. Contents 1 Early life! 2 2002 Pan Pacific Championships 3 2003 World Championships 4 2004 Summer Olympics 4.1 Trials 4.2 Olympics 5 2005 World Championships 6 2006 Pan Pacific Championships 7 2007 World Championships 8 2008 Summer Olympics 8.1 Trials 8.2 Olympics 8.3 7th gold medal and controversy 8.4 All-time record 9 2009 World Championships 10 2010 Pan Pacific Championships 11 2011 World Championships 12 2012 Summer Olympics 13 Physique 14 Allegations of performance enhancing drug use 15 Bob Bowman 16 Personal life 16.1 Controversies 16.2 Relationship with Ian Thorpe 16.3 Philanthropy 17 Honors and awards 18 World records 19 See also 20 Notes 21 References 22 External links Early life Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of Towson, Maryland, a northwest suburb of Baltimore City.[7] Michael was the youngest of three children. His mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" (née Davisson), is a middle school principal.[8] His father, Michael Fred Phelps, was a football player in high ! school and almost made the team for the Washington Redskins.[8] His ancestry includes English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and German.[9] Phelps began swimming at the age of seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy.[10] When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[11][12] His parents divorced in 1994 and Michael and his sisters went to live with their mother. By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group, and Phelps began to train at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. More age group records followed, and Phelps' rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15 and becoming the youngest male to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years.[13] While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200-m butterfly.[14] At the World Championship Trial! s for the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, on July 22, Phelps broke t! he world record in the 200-m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record, breaking the record previously held by Ian Thorpe when he lowered the 400-m freestyle world record at 16 years, 10 months.[15] At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Phelps broke his own world record in the 200-m butterfly en route to becoming a world champion for the first time.[16] 2002 Pan Pacific Championships See also: 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Medal record 2002 Yokohama – Men's swimming Competitor for the United States Gold 200 m individual medley 1:59.70 Gold 400 m individual medley 4:12.48 Gold 4 × 100 m medley relay 3:33.48 (WR) Silver 200 m butterfly 1.55.41 Silver 4×200 m freestyle relay 7:11.81 At Nationals, the selection meet for the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, in Fort Lauderdale, Phelps set an American record in the 200-m individual medley and was just off the w! orld record in the 200-m butterfly.[17] In the 400-m individual medley, Phelps bettered the world record held by Tom Dolan with a time of 4:11.09, just ahead of Erik Vendt, who finished second with a time of 4:11.27, also below the old world record. In the 200-m freestyle, Phelps was barely beaten by Klete Keller and in the 100 m butterfly, Phelps beat Ian Crocker.[18] At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Phelps won three gold medals and two silvers. In his first event, the 400-m individual medley, Phelps won gold ahead of Erik Vendt with a time of 4:12.48. In the 200-m butterfly, Phelps lost to Tom Malchow, finishing behind him 1:55.41 to 1:55.21. Phelps said he lost because he did not take butterfly training seriously after he broke the world record. In the 200-m individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:59.70. In the 4×200-m freestyle relay, Phelps, along with Nate Dusing, Klete Keller, and Chad Carvin, won the silver medal with a time 7! :11.81 finishing behind Australia. The U.S. 4×100-m medley relay team ! consisted of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps, and Ian Crocker. In the final for the medley relay, Phelps swam a 51.1 split, at the time the fastest split in history. The final time of 3:33.48 was a world record.[19] 2003 World Championships See also: Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships Medal record 2003 World Championships – Men's swimming Competitor for the USA Gold 200 m butterfly 1:54.35 Gold 200 m individual medley 1:56.01 (WR) Gold 400 m individual medley 4:09.09 (WR) Gold 4×100 m medley relay 3:31.54 (WR) Silver 100 m butterfly 51.10 Silver 4×200 m freestyle relay 7:10.26 At Nationals, Phelps won the 200-m freestyle, 200-m backstroke, and the 100-m butterfly.[20] He became the first American swimmer to win three different races in three different strokes at a national championship.[20] At the 2003 Duel in the Pool, a meet that pits swimming stars from Australia and the United States, Phelps broke the world record i! n the 400-m individual medley with a time of 4:10.73 and almost broke the world record in the 100-m butterfly, just missing the record by 0.03 seconds.[21] At a meet in Santa Clara, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-m individual medley with a time of 1:57.94.[22] Phelps said he broke the 200-m individual medley world record after Don Talbot said Phelps was unproven, using his words as motivation.[23] At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won four gold medals, two silver medals, and broke five world records.[24] Phelps broke his first world record on July 22 in the semi-finals for the 200-m butterfly. Phelps swam a 1:53.93 to break his own world record of 1:54.58 set in 2001 and became the first man to swim under 1:54.00.[25] In the final of the 200-m butterfly, on July 23, Phelps easily won the gold medal, but did not come close to his world record with a time of 1:54.35.[26] Less than an hour later, Phelps swam the lead-off leg for the 4×200-m freestyle ! relay. Phelps put up a solid time of 1:46.60 (an American record) but t! he Americans could not match the depth of the Australians and ultimately finished second 7:10.26 to 7:08.58.[27] In the 200-m individual medley, Phelps showed complete dominance. On July 24, in the semifinals of the 200-m IM, Phelps broke his own world record with a time of 1:57.52.[28] On July 25, in the final of the 200-m IM, Phelps smashed his own record with a time of 1:56.04 to win the gold medal and finished almost 3 seconds ahead of Ian Thorpe.[29] About an hour before the final of the 200-m IM, Phelps swam in the semifinals of the 100-m butterfly. Phelps again showed dominance, finishing in the top seed with a world record time of 51.47.[30] However, in the final of the 100-m butterfly, on July 26, Ian Crocker erased Phelps' world record with a time of 50.98, to become the first man under 51 seconds. Phelps swam a 51.10 (also under his former world record), but had to settle for silver.[31] In the final of the 400-m individual medley, on July 27, Phelps broke his ow! n world record with a time of 4:09.09 to easily claim the gold medal.[32] About half an hour later, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-m medley relay.[33] Phelps did not swim in the finals, but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.[34] 2004 Summer Olympics See also: Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics Medal record 2004 Athens – Men's swimming Competitor for the USA Gold 100 m butterfly 51.25 (OR) Gold 200 m butterfly 1:54.04 (OR) Gold 200 m individual medley 1:57.14 (OR) Gold 400 m individual medley 4:08.26 (WR) Gold 4×200 m freestyle 7:07.33 (NR) Gold 4×100 m medley 3:30.68 (WR) Bronze 200 m freestyle 1:45.32 (NR) Bronze 4×100 m freestyle 3:14.62 Trial
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