Michael Phelps is no stranger to the Olympics. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be his third. In 2000, when he competed in the 200m butterfly event, he was the youngest Olympian to attend the games since 1932. His true notoriety, however, comes from the Athens games in 2004, where he medaled in eight events (six gold).
Michigan Connection:
- Attended University of Michigan
- Currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Birth Date:
June 30th, 1985
Events:
Phelps will compete in eight events in Beijing, which will give him another opportunity to meet and/or beat Mark Spitz 1972 record of seven gold medals. The events include the 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m IM, 400m IM, 100m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle relay and 200m medley relay.
Swimming:
Phelps followed his sisters, Whitney and Hillary, into swimming at the age of seven. Whitney participated in the Olympic Trials in 1996 and just missed making the team in the 200m butterfly. At the age of 11, Michael met renowned coach Bob Bowman and trained under him thereafter. In fact, he followed Bowman to Ann Arbor in 2004 and attended sports management classes at University of Michigan. Phelps currently trains with Bowman at Michigan's Club Wolverine with several other Olympic swimmers.
Swimming Highlights:
- 2004 Athens Olympics, eight medals
- Six gold (one short of Mark Spitz seven gold medals in 1972)
- Four of the medals were in individual events
- Tied Soviet gymnast Alexandr Dityatin (1980) for most medals in a single Olympics
- 2007 World Championships, seven medals
Personal History:
- In 2004, Phelps co-authored Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface (
) with Brian Cazeneuve of Sports Illustrated.
- Phelps couldn’t compete on the Michigan team because he was a professional athlete, so he worked as a volunteer assistant to the team.
- In 2006, Phelps stopped taking classes at Michigan to work on swimming and endorsements full time.
- In 2008, after the Beijing games, Phelps will follow Bowman again, this time back to their native Baltimore – a fitting locale for the Baltimore Bullet.
In-Depth Profile:
The Baltimore Bullet’s heart belongs to Maryland, where he plans to return after the Beijing games. Baltimore guide Laureen Miles Brunelli has written an in-depth profile.
