Michael Phelps

Fred Michael Phelps (* June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American swimmer, who since the beginning of the 21st Century on the free style - Butterfly - back - and layer competitions the best in the world. With a total of 14 Olympic gold medals he is the most successful athlete of the Olympic history.

Career

With 15 years ago, Michael Phelps at the Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney. He was the youngest male swimmer in the U.S. team since 68 years. Phelps was still in this race is not an Olympic medal. Five months later he remained about 200 meters butterfly in 1:55 minutes and broke the world record of Olympic champion Tom Malchow. The Schwimmweltmeisterschaften 2001 in the Japanese Fukuoka Phelps before Malchow won the gold medal and improved his own record again by 34-hundredths of seconds to 1:54.58 minutes. In the 2002 national championships in Fort Lauderdale, he a world record over 400 meters documents. A year later, Phelps won the world record in the half distance.

In the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona Phelps was the title defence over 200 m butterfly.. In addition, he won gold layer over both distances. In all three races, Phelps new world records, more than 200 m documents he succeeded both in the lead as well as in the finale. About 100 m butterfly, he also was the first candidate for the World Cup throne, as he also lead the world record in his possession had brought. The finale won Phelps' teammate Ian Crocker, the previous day world record set by Phelps again by almost half a second improved and the first ever swimmer under 51 seconds remained.. For the launch site in a position to scale the Crocker got rather than Phelps, and thus won his second World Cup gold. But Phelps was also awarded a gold medal as he lead in this competition had begun. With the 4 x 200 m freestyle relay, Phelps finally its 5 medals yet another silver medal to add.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Phelps was reported for eight contests. Phelps sponsor Speedo announced at a new record mark of a premium payment of one million U.S. dollars. About 200 metres freestyle, where Phelps also wanted to start, he was in possession of the national record, but he was only outsider, because this route for years by Pieter van den Hoogenband and Ian Thorpe dominated. Phelps won before Crocker, but he handed over 200 m freestyle, despite a personal best performance to van den Hoogenband and Thorpe approached. With the 4 x 200 m freestyle relay and the situation scale Phelps won his gold medals five and six. In the latter Phelps swam only in the lead, since his finals in individual competitors unterlegenden Ian Crocker's place in the butterfly distance left to him or to Olympic gold medal as possible. With the 4 x 100 m freestyle relay Phelps won another bronze medal. With a total of 8 won medals Michael Phelps was the most successful participants in the Games, so the best mark of the Russian Kunstturners Alexander Ditjatin of Moscow 1980.