Untitled Document
 Michael
Phelps is an American Olympic champion. He won 8 gold medals
in the 2008 Beijing Olympics! Yes, he is officially the greatest swimmer in the world! Phelps
had one goal in mind for the Beijing
Olympic Games - to break the 7 gold medal record held by American
swimmer Mark Spitz since the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Many
people thought it was impossible. But he proved them wrong! So far, Phelps has won a
total of 16 Olympic medals
in his career. Phelps also holds 7 world swimming records and 6 U.S. swimming
records.
Michael Phelps was born on June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland. Phelps
began swimming at age 7, following his sisters to
the pool. Four years later, he met a coach named Bob Bowman. Bowman
recognized his ability right away.
“I felt that when I saw him as a younger swimmer that he had limitless potential,” Bowman said.
He even met with Phelps’ parents when he was 12 to explain that he could potentially make the Olympics
in 2000 and even set 2004 and 2008 as targets. And Bowman was so
right!
 Phelps made
his Olympic debut in Sydney at age 15 when he qualified for the 200-meter
fly by finishing second at U.S.
Trials. “At first, I couldn’t really
believe it. I thought I saw it and had to take my goggles off to really see,”
said Phelps. He was the youngest man on the U.S. swim team. However,
he made the final in Sydney and finished
5th despite his young age and
lack of international experience.
Phelps won seven gold medals and set five world records at the 2007
World Championships. All of the men’s solo world records that Phelps
broke were his own, except for the 200-meter
freestyle.
Last month, he won 8 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After
winning his 8th gold medal in his final swimming event, Phelps said,
“Nothing is impossible. With so many people saying it couldn’t be
done, all it takes is an imagination, and that’s something
I learned and something that helped me.”
Phelps’ recent accomplishments will make
him the world’s richest professional swimmer worth an estimated 5 million dollars
a year or maybe more! Michael Phelps will continue to train as a swimmer and we
can look forward to Phelps’ performance
at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London! |
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