Greatest Swimmer of All-Time?

Michael Phelps. The Baltimore Bullet. Superman. MP. The Greatest Swimmer of All-Time. Michael Phelps holds the record for most Olympic gold medals (14) and most Olympic golds at a single Olympics (8). Thirty-nine world-record breaking performances over his prodigious career. He's a 6-time World Swimmer of the Year.

2008: Year of Phelps

Michael Phelps was already a household name coming into the Beijing Olympics. But for one week in August of 2008, the entire nation - and world - seemed to catch onto "PhelpsMania" as the Michigan graduate pursued legendary swimmer Mark Spitz' record of seven gold medals in a single Olympics. Phelps did so in dramatic fashion, winning close races, having goggles full of water, and fighting physical and mental exhaustion. After Phelps won his 7th and record-tying swim with the now-legendary .01-second touch-out of Serbia's Milorad Cavic in Phelps 7th and record-tying swim, Phelps went on to secure Olympic glory by winning his 8th gold medal and, according to his agent, a career worth millions of dollars in endorsement deals. Soon after the Olympics, Phelps found his face on the cover of almost every major magazine, cereal box, commercial, and even hosted Saturday Night Live - the first swimmer to do so. 2008 concluded with a thundering stamp on Phelps' legacy when the swimmer earned Sports Illustrated prestigious "Sportsman of the Year."

Growing Up

Michael Phelps grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. Early on, he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and used the sport of swimming as an outlet. Soon, he found himself breaking age group national records, capturing the attention of his then-and-now coach, Bob Bowman, who immediately recognized Phelps' potential. At age 15, Michael Phelps qualified for the Sydney Olympic Games, and soon after, burst onto the international swimming scene, breaking his first of thirty-seven world records in 2003. In 2004, he attended the University of Michigan, but did not compete with the collegiate team, due to his "professional" status that negated his NCAA eligibility. At the 2004 Olympic Games, Phelps won six gold and two bronze medals, setting up his "Spitzian performance" in Beijing.

Controversy

Michael Phelps has had his share of controversy. In 2004, he was arrested for DUI, to which he pleaded no contest. Following his success in 2008 at the Beijing Games, a photograph was released in the tabloids that showed Phelps using a bong at a party. Phelps was subsequently suspended for three months from swimming competition, and Kellogg's decided to discontinue its affiliation with the swimmer. With the intense media and tabloid scrutiny, Phelps has become the first-ever "celebrity swimmer" - sometimes his actions outside the pool gain more attention than inside the pool. Nevertheless, fans seem to show their support for their favorite Olympian. Over 3,000,000 people have declared themselves Phelps "fans" on Facebook, roughly the size of Chicago.

2009 -

Recently, Phelps won 5 golds and a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships, marking his return to the medal podium after a six-month absence from the sport following the 2008 Olympics. Notably, Phelps has been vocally critical of the recently-banned "rubber" suits - with his coach, Bob Bowman, threatening to pull him from competition if a suit solution wasn't adapted. FINA has since banned the suits, and Phelps is back in the pool, sporting the old-fashioned swim brief, looking forward to 2010 and beyond.

Three-time Olympian (2008, 2004, 2000)

16 Olympic Medals (14 gold, 2 bronze)
2008 Olympics (Beijing)
GOLD
200m Freestyle
100m Butterfly
200m Butterfly
200m IM
400m IM
400m Freestyle Relay
800m Freestyle Relay
400m Medley Relay

2004 Olympics (Athens)
GOLD
100m Butterfly
200m Butterfly
200m IM
400m IM
800m Freestyle Relay
400m Medley Relay
BRONZE
200m Freestyle
400m Freestyle Relay

20 World Medals (22 gold, 4 silver)
GOLD
100m Butterfly
200m Butterfly
400m Freestyle Relay
800m Freestyle Relay
400m Medley Relay
SILVER
200m Freestyle

2007 World Championships (Melbourne)
GOLD
200m Freestyle
100m Butterfly
200m Butterfly
200m IM
400m IM
400m Freestyle Relay
800m Freestyle Relay

2005 World Championships (Montreal)
GOLD
200m Freestyle
200m IM
400m Freestyle Relay
800m Freestyle Relay
400m Medley Relay
SILVER
100m Butterfly

2003 World Championships (Barcelona)
GOLD
200m Butterfly
200m IM
400m IM
400m Medley Relay
SILVER
100m Butterfly
800m Freestyle Relay

2001 World Championships (Fukuoka)
GOLD
200m Butterfly

Current World Records
100m Butterfly - 49.82 (2009 World Championships, Rome)
200m Butterfly - 1:51.51 (2009 World Championships, Rome)
400m IM - 4:03.84 (2008 Olympics, Beijing)
400m Freestyle Relay - 3:08.24 (2008 Olympics, Beijing)
400m Freestyle Relay (SC) - 3:03.30 (2009 Duel in the Pool, Manchester)
800m Freestyle Relay - 6:58.55 (2009 World Championships, Rome)
400m Medley Relay - 3:27.28 (2009 World Championships, Rome)
400m Medley Relay (SC) - 3:20.71 (2009 Duel in the Pool, Manchester)