Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz

Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950) is an American former swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics. Spitz set new world records in all seven events in which he competed, a record that still stands. Since the year 1900, no other swimmer has ever gained so great a percentage of all the medals awarded for Olympic events held in a single Games.

Between 1968 and 1972, Spitz won nine Olympic golds plus a silver and a bronze, five Pan American golds, 31 US Amateur Athletic Union titles, and eight US National Collegiate Athletic Association titles. During those years, he set 35 world records, but 2 were in trials and unofficial. He was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He was named World Swimmer of the Year in 1969, 1971, and 1972 by Swimming World magazine. He was the third athlete to win nine Olympic gold medals.