MICHAEL PHELPS
Michael Phelps, born on June 30, 1985 is the world’s most decorated swimmer. At the age of 24, he has won 14 Olympic Gold medals, and is the greatest Olympian of all time, holding the record of the most amount of gold medals won in a single Olympics. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, he beat fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz’s record from the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He has broken 37 world records in total, many of them his own, surpassing Mark Spitz’s previous record of 33. He currently holds 6 world records in the Long Course Pool.
Phelps was born in the Point Lake area of Baltimore, to father Fred and Debbie Phelps. He has two sisters, Whitney and Hilary, both swimmers. As a young child, he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and his parents put him in swimming at the age of seven to have an outlet for his energy. After breaking numerous national age group records in the United States, at the age of 15 he qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where he placed fifth in the 200 meter butterfly final. Just a few months later, he became the youngest man to ever set a world record when he broke it in the 200-meter butterfly. From there his career has taken off.
Though he has had a tumultuous past few years, with a DUI and a photo of him taking drugs, he remains one of the world’s best and most decorated athletes. After some time off, Phelps is continuing his training under the tutelage of his longtime coach Bob Bowman, and he plans to swim at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.
Phelps was born in the Point Lake area of Baltimore, to father Fred and Debbie Phelps. He has two sisters, Whitney and Hilary, both swimmers. As a young child, he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and his parents put him in swimming at the age of seven to have an outlet for his energy. After breaking numerous national age group records in the United States, at the age of 15 he qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where he placed fifth in the 200 meter butterfly final. Just a few months later, he became the youngest man to ever set a world record when he broke it in the 200-meter butterfly. From there his career has taken off.
Though he has had a tumultuous past few years, with a DUI and a photo of him taking drugs, he remains one of the world’s best and most decorated athletes. After some time off, Phelps is continuing his training under the tutelage of his longtime coach Bob Bowman, and he plans to swim at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.
