Phelps, Michael Fred (1985– )

US swimmer, who won eight medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, of which six were gold. By so doing, he became just the second athlete in history, along with Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin, to earn eight medals at a single Olympics. He has set over 20 individual world records in five events.

Career highlights

Olympic Games gold 100-metre butterfly 2004; gold 200-metre butterfly 2004; gold 200-metre individual medley 2004; gold 400-metre individual medley 2004; gold 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay 2004; gold 4 × 100-metre medley relay 2004; bronze 200-metre freestyle 2004; bronze 4 × 100-metre freestyle relay 2004

World Championships gold 200-metre freestyle 2005, 2007; gold 100-metre butterfly 2007; gold 200-metre butterfly 2001, 2003, 2007; gold 200-metre individual medley 2003, 2005, 2007; gold 400-metre individual medley 2003, 2007; gold 4 × 100-metre freestyle relay 2005, 2007; gold 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay 2005, 2007; gold 4 × 100-metre medley relay 2003, 2005; silver 100-metre butterfly 2003, 2005; silver 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay 2003

World Short Course Championships gold 200-metre freestyle 2004

At the age of 15, Phelps swam at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and placed fifth in the 200-metre butterfly. The following year he broke the world record for the event, becoming, at age 15 years 9 months, the youngest male ever to set a swimming world record. Four months later, he won his first world championship title, setting another world record in the 200-metre butterfly. At the 2003 World Championships, Phelps won four gold medals, all in world-record time, and a further two silver medals. At the 2005 World Championships, he won five gold medals and a silver. At the 2007 World Championships, he won seven gold medals, setting five world records in the process.