• Swimmers weigh whether to switch to new suits

  NBC Sports - Found Jul. 1, 2009 Michael Phelps doesn't plan to experiment with any new suits at next week's U.S. national championships. Phelps isn't switching to a different high-tech suit, but other ... - Los Angeles Times Speedo weighs swimmers' interest in other suits - Denver Post Speedo weighs swimmers' interest in other suits - Seattle Times Speedo weighs swimmers' interest in other suits - Minneapolis Star Tribune Explore All

  SuperSport

• TV Times - Logano Won, But Is He Still Too Green for Cup Racing?

  SpeedwayMedia.com - Found Jun. 30, 2009 ... championship in 2008, is nominated in the ?Best Male Athlete? category along with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and NBA stars Kobe Bryant...

• Phelps, Torres to swim at US nationals in Indy

  NBC Sports - Found Jun. 30, 2009 INDIANAPOLIS - Michael Phelps and Dara Torres are among more than 25 members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team expected to compete next week in the U.S. Phelps, Torres to swim at US nationals in Indy - Denver Post Phelps, Torres to swim at US nationals in Indy - Seattle Times Phelps, Torres to swim at US nationals in Indy - Minneapolis Star Tribune Phelps, Torres to swim at US nationals in Indy - Lexington Herald Leader Explore All

• It's Jimmie Johnson versus Kobe, LeBron and Michael Phelps!

  Yahoo! Sports - Found Jun. 25, 2009 Male Athlete of the Year, and the nominees include some notable names indeed: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Phelps and NASCAR's very own... Johnson, Castroneves among 5 drivers nominated for ESPYs - Sun Herald Explore All

  Yahoo! Sports

• Phelps, Bryant, James compete for male athlete

  Sacramento Bee - Found Jun. 24, 2009 LOS ANGELES -- Michael Phelps has 14 Olympic gold medals but only one ESPY. Phelps, Bryant, James compete for male athlete - San Jose Mercury News Phelps, Bryant, James compete for male - MyMotherLode.com Phelps, Bryant, James compete for male athlete - Fort Mills Times Phelps, Bryant, James compete for male athlete - Fresno Bee Explore All

• Phelps back on track with win, USA TODAY weekly honor

  USA Today - Found Jun. 23, 2009 It has been a tumultuous 2009 for Michael Phelps. Sports in Brief | Phelps gains sweep at Canada Cup meet - Philadelphia Inquirer Phelps claims 100 free in Montreal - Shanghai Daily Phelps wins 100m freestyle at Canada Cup, 'satisfied' - China Post Explore All

  China Post

• Celebrity gossip liners Baltimore talent and local shows edition 15 ...

  Examiner.com - Found Jun. 23, 2009 Better late than never. Out of town weekend revelry delayed today's edition of celebrity gossip liners. Michael Phelps pens new children?s book. ...

• Michael Phelps in 100 meter butterfly just .8 seconds outside of ...

  Examiner.com - Found Jun. 21, 2009 Michael Phelps sets personal best and almost smashed world record time Michael Phelps set a personal best time and came within .8 seconds of smashing ... Phelps swims career best in butterfly at Canada Cup - TSN Phelps snatches personal best in 100m butterfly at Canada Cup - People's Daily Online Phelps fast in 100m butterfly victory - AFP via Yahoo! Phelps snatches personal best in 100m butterfly - People's Daily Online Explore All

  SuperSport

• Phelps Sweeps His 2 Montreal Races

  ABC News - Found Jun. 21, 2009 Michael Phelps swept both events he entered at the Canada Cup, though he gave himself a split decision on his performance in his last two races Phelps sweeps his 2 Montreal races - NBC Sports Phelps wins 100m freestyle at Canada Cup - AFP via Yahoo! Phelps sweeps his 2 Montreal races - Minneapolis Star Tribune Phelps wins last race before U.S. nationals - Baltimore Sun Explore All

  Sydney Morning Herald

• SPORTS WIRE: USC names O'Neill to replace Floyd

  Chicago Sun-Times - Found Jun. 21, 2009 Michael Phelps swam a personal-best time of 50.48 seconds in winning the 100-meter butterfly at the Canada Cup in Montreal. USC hires O?Neill to replace Floyd - NBC Sports USC hires O'Neill as basketball coach - San Jose Mercury News Theus not hired at USC, as O'Neill takes over program - Las Cruces Sun-News Kevin O'Neill takes the reins - Examiner.com Explore All

  NBC Sports

Michael Phelps Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Personal information Full name: Michael Fred Phelps Nickname(s): The Baltimore Bullet1 Nationality: American Stroke(s): Butterfly, Individual Medley, Freestyle, Backstroke Club: Club Wolverine, University of Michigan Date of birth: June 30, 1985 (1985-06-30) (age 24) Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland, United States Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 200 pounds (91 kg)

Medal record Men's Swimming Competitor for  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 100 m butterfly Gold 2004 Athens 200 m butterfly Gold 2004 Athens 200 m individual medley Gold 2004 Athens 400 m individual medley Gold 2004 Athens 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Gold 2004 Athens 4 x 100 m medley relay Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m freestyle Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m butterfly Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m butterfly Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m individual medley Gold 2008 Beijing 400 m individual medley Gold 2008 Beijing 4 x 100 m freestyle relay Gold 2008 Beijing 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Gold 2008 Beijing 4 x 100 m medley relay Bronze 2004 Athens 200 m freestyle Bronze 2004 Athens 4 x 100 m freestyle relay World Championships - Long Course Gold 2001 Fukuoka 200 m butterfly Gold 2003 Barcelona 200 m butterfly Gold 2003 Barcelona 200 m individual medley Gold 2003 Barcelona 400 m individual medley Gold 2003 Barcelona 4 x 100 m medley relay Gold 2005 Montreal 200 m freestyle Gold 2005 Montreal 200 m individual medley Gold 2005 Montreal 4 x 100 m freestyle relay Gold 2005 Montreal 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Gold 2005 Montreal 4 x 100 m medley relay Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m freestyle Gold 2007 Melbourne 100 m butterfly Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m butterfly Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m individual medley Gold 2007 Melbourne 400 m individual medley Gold 2007 Melbourne 4 x 100 m freestyle relay Gold 2007 Melbourne 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Silver 2003 Barcelona 100 m butterfly Silver 2003 Barcelona 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Silver 2005 Montreal 100 m butterfly World Championships - Short Course Gold 2004 Indianapolis 200 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2002 Yokohama 200 m individual medley Gold 2002 Yokohama 400 m individual medley Gold 2002 Yokohama 4 x 100 m medley relay Gold 2006 Victoria 200 m butterfly Gold 2006 Victoria 200 m individual medley Gold 2006 Victoria 400 m individual medley Gold 2006 Victoria 4 x 100 m freestyle relay Gold 2006 Victoria 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Silver 2002 Yokohama 200 m butterfly Silver 2002 Yokohama 4 x 200 m freestyle relay Silver 2006 Victoria 200 m backstroke

Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985) is an American professional swimmer. He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian. As of 2008, Phelps holds seven world records in swimming.

Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals at a single Olympics, his eight at the 2008 Beijing Games surpassing American swimmer Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at Munich in 1972.

Overall, Phelps has won 16 Olympic medals: six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008. In doing so he has twice equaled the record eight medals of any type at a single Olympics achieved by Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. His five golds in individual events tied the single Games record set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Phelps career Olympic medal total is second only to the 18 Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina won over three Olympics, including nine gold.

Phelps's international titles and record breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008 and American Swimmer of the Year Award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. He has won a total of 48 career medals thus far in major international competition, forty gold, six silver, and two bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award.

Personal life

Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge area of Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Towson High School in 2003.² His father, Fred Phelps, worked for the Maryland State Police and his mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Davisson Phelps, is a middle school principal.²³ The two divorced in 1994.² Michael, whose nickname is "MP", has two older sisters, Whitney and Hilary.²³ Both of them were swimmers as well, with Whitney coming close to making the U.S. national team for the 1996 Summer Olympics before injuries derailed her career.⁴

In his youth, Phelps was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).² He started swimming at age seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. He excelled as a swimmer, and by the age of 10 held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Phelps's rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15.⁵

In November 2004, at the age of 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired the following month and was granted probation before judgment and ordered to serve 18 months' probation, fined $250, obligated to speak to high school students about drinking and driving and had to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting.⁶⁷ Questioned about the incident later that month by Matt Lauer on the Today Show, Phelps said it was an "isolated incident" and that he had "definitely let myself down and my family down ... I think I let a lot of people in the country down."²

Between 2004 and 2008, Phelps attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, studying sports marketing and management.⁸ In May 2008, Phelps announced his intention to return to Baltimore following the 2008 Olympics, joining Bob Bowman there after leaving the University of Michigan, saying, "I'm not going to swim for anybody else. I think we can both help the North Baltimore Aquatic Club go further. I'm definitely going to be in Baltimore next year." Bowman left the University of Michigan to become the club's CEO.⁹ Phelps purchased a house in the Fells Point section of Baltimore, where he has resided since the 2008 Summer Olympics.¹⁰

Phelps' teammates at the Olympics called him "Gomer" because he reminded them of Gomer Pyle, the good-natured, naïve country boy played by Jim Nabors on The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..¹¹

He has made an estimated $5 million per year in endorsements, including an estimated $1 million dollars to be the face of Mazda in China.¹² After receiving a $1 million bonus from swimsuit maker Speedo for winning at least seven¹³ gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games,¹⁴ Phelps used the money to create the Michael Phelps Foundation,¹³¹⁵ a charity foundation to promote water safety and to advocate swimming for children. Speedo then donated an additional $200,000 to the Foundation.¹⁶

Phelps with the Speaker Mike Busch of the Maryland House of Delegates (Annapolis, April 9, 2009)

On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported Phelps' selection as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC television program that aired on December 4, 2008.¹⁷

In early 2009, Phelps admitted to "behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment" following the publication of a photo by the British tabloid, News of the World, showing him using a bong, a device used for smoking marijuana.¹⁸ Following an investigation, the Richland County Sheriff's Department announced on February 16 that Phelps would not be prosecuted in connection with the incident because there was not enough evidence.¹⁹ USA Swimming suspended Phelps from swimming competitively for three months, and Kellogg's announced that it would not renew his endorsement contract.²⁰

On April 9, 2009 Phelps was invited to appear before the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate, to be honored for his Olympic accomplishments.²¹ When introduced, he received standing ovations by lawmakers in both chambers.²²

Physique and training

A few physical attributes particularly suit Phelps to swimming: his long, thin torso offers low drag; his arms span 6 feet 7 inches (201 cm)—disproportionate to his height of 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm)—and act as long, propulsive "paddles";²³ his relatively short legs lower drag, and perhaps add the speed enhancement of a hydrofoil;²⁴²⁵ his size 14 feet provide the effect of flippers; and his hypermobile ankles he can extend beyond the pointe of a ballet dancer, enabling him to whip his feet as if they were fins for maximum thrust through the water.²⁶

In October 2007, Phelps slipped on a patch of ice and fell while climbing into a friend's car in Michigan, breaking his right wrist. Coach Bowman recalled that Phelps was in despair over the injury. For a few weeks after the surgery, he was confined to kicking in the pool with a kickboard while his teammates swam. However, this allowed Phelps to strengthen his legs, which might have allowed him to edge out Milorad Cavic in the 100 butterfly final for his seventh gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. In the last five meters, an exhausted Cavic was dragging his legs while Phelps used a strong kick to get his hands to the wall first, by a hundredth of a second.²⁷

In a front page illustrated article profiling Phelps on the eve of the 2008 Summer Olympics, The Baltimore Sun described the hometown swimmer as "a solitary man" with a "rigid focus" at the pool prior to a race, but afterwards "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about".² Bowman told a Sun interviewer, "He's unbelievably kind-hearted", recounting Phelps's interaction with young children after practices.²

According to an article in The Guardian, Phelps eats around 12,000 kcal each day, or about six times the intake of a normal adult male.²⁸ Yet according to Michael Phelps in an interview with 60 minutes, the estimate given by the Guardian is "not true" and he states he eats 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day when training.²⁹

Throughout the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was questioned by the press if perhaps his feats were "too good to be true", a reference to unsupported rumors that Phelps may be taking performance enhancing drugs. In response, Phelps noted that he had signed up for Project Believe, a project by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in which U.S. Olympians can volunteer to be tested in excess of the World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines.³⁰ During the Games, Phelps was tested nine times, and passed all of them.³¹

Phelps idolized Australian Ian Thorpe as a teenager, modelling his public image after Thorpe, and later watched videos to try to emulate the Aussie's famous six-beat underwater dolphin kick off the turns. Phelps, who finished third behind Thorpe in the 200m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics, had unsuccessfully tried to lure the Australian out of retirement in 2007 saying "I like to race him".³² Thorpe initially said it was highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.³³ His remarks were supposedly used by Phelps who stuck them on his locker as motivation during these Games.³⁴³⁵ Thorpe was in the stands for the Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay, where Phelps was swimming for his eighth Olympic title. When Phelps and his teammates captured the gold, Thorpe gave a congratulatory kiss to Phelps' mother, then gave a handshake and a hug to congratulate Phelps. Thorpe afterwards said "I'm really proud of him not just because he won eight golds. Rather, it's how much he has grown up and matured into a great human being. Never in my life have I been so happy to have been proved wrong. I enjoyed every moment of it".³²³⁶³⁷

Career

Early years

As a young teenager, Phelps trained at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. At the age of 15, Phelps competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, becoming the youngest American male swimmer at an Olympic Games in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200 metre butterfly. Phelps proceeded to make a name for himself in swimming shortly thereafter. Five months after the Sydney Olympics, Phelps broke the world record in the 200 m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record.³⁸ He then broke his own record at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan by posting a time of 1:54.58. At the 2002 Summer Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Phelps also broke the world record for the 400 metre individual medley and set American marks in the 100 metre butterfly and the 200 metre individual medley.

In 2003, Phelps broke his own world record in the 400 metre individual medley (4:09.09) and in June, he broke the world record in the 200 m individual medley (1:56.04). Then on July 7, 2004, Phelps broke his own world record again in the 400 m individual medley (4:08.41) during the U.S. trials for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

In 2004, Phelps left North Baltimore Aquatic Club with Bob Bowman to train at the University of Michigan for Club Wolverine.

2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games

At the age of fifteen, Phelps finished in fifth place, in what would be the first of his several trips to Australia.³⁹

2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games

Phelps's dominance brought comparisons to former swimming great Mark Spitz,⁴⁸ who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Summer Olympics, a world record. Phelps tied Mark Spitz's record of four gold medals won in individual events. Phelps had the chance to break Spitz's record of seven total gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics by competing in eight swimming events (five of which were individual events): the 200 m freestyle, the 100 m butterfly, the 200 m butterfly, the 200 m individual medley, the 400 m individual medley, the 4x100 m freestyle relay, 4x200 m freestyle relay, and the 4x100 m medley relay. However, his 4x100 m freestyle relay team only won the bronze medal, and he personally placed for bronze in the 200 m freestyle. Thus, he fell short of Spitz's record. However, he did win eight medals in one Olympics, a feat only previously achieved by Alexander Dityatin, a gymnast, in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Phelps would later equal this record (and break Spitz's) with his eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympic Games.

Had he won seven golds in 2004, he would have been eligible for a US$1 million bonus from his sponsor, Speedo.⁴⁹ Phelps did, however, earn this $1 million by winning eight golds at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

On August 14, 2004 he won his first Olympic gold, in the 400 m individual medley, setting another new world record (4:08.26).

On August 16, he finished third behind Australian winner Ian Thorpe and the Dutch Pieter van den Hoogenband in 200 m freestyle final, called the race of the century.⁵⁰ Thorpe, upon hearing of the bonus from Speedo, was adamant that eight golds was impossible.⁵¹ Although this race ended the chance to match Spitz's record, Phelps had savored the challenge even though it was not his strongest event, saying "How can I be disappointed? I swam in a field with the two fastest freestylers of all time".³⁹⁵²

The 100 butterfly was Phelps' seventh medal and fifth gold, which was also his fourth gold in an individual event. That matched Mark Spitz's four solo golds in 1972. No other male swimmer ever claimed more than two individual golds in a single Olympics.⁵³

On August 20, 2004 in the 100 m butterfly final, Phelps defeated American teammate Ian Crocker (who holds the world record in the event) by just 0.04 seconds. Traditionally, the Olympian who places highest in an individual event will be automatically given the corresponding leg of the 4x100 m medley relay. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into the medley relay but he deferred and Crocker swam instead. Crocker had made a mistake during his leg of the 400 freestyle relay final, which cost the Americans gold, so Phelps' gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends as well getting his final shot at a gold medal.⁵³⁵⁴ The American medley team went on to win the event in world record time, and, since Phelps had raced in a preliminary heat of the medley relay, he was also awarded a gold medal along with the team members that competed in the final.⁵⁵

2004–2008

Phelps swims the 400 IM at the 2008 Missouri GP

Phelps moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan following the 2004 Olympics when his longtime coach at the North Baltimore Athletic Club, Bob Bowman, became head coach of the University of Michigan swimming team. Phelps served as a volunteer assistant coach, but did not swim for the university's team in NCAA competition because of his loss of amateur status, having accepted endorsement money from his sponsors Speedo, Visa, Omega and PowerBar.⁵⁶ Instead, he trained with and competed for Club Wolverine, a USA Swimming club affiliated with the university, between 2004 and 2008. The Baltimore Sun said in August 2008 that Phelps earns $5 million annually in endorsements.² Unknown to many, Phelps has penned two books. His second book, No Limits: The Will to Succeed,⁵⁷ was released on December 9, 2008.

He co-founded the "Swim with the Stars" program, along with Ian Crocker and Lenny Krayzelburg, a program which promotes swimming and conducts camps for swimmers of all ages.

He competed in the 2005 World Championships, winning six medals, (five gold and one silver) and breaking one Championship record.

2007 World Championships

At the 2007 World Championships,⁵⁸ Phelps won seven gold medals, tying the record, and broke five world records. The 4x100 m medley relay team he would have competed with in the final received a disqualification for a false start during a changeover in the heats.⁵⁹

2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games

Phelps represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He qualified to compete in three team and five individual events,² swimming seventeen races in nine days²⁷ and winning the gold medal in all eight events:

Michael Phelps poses for a photo with then-U.S. President George W. Bush after Phelps won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's 400 meter individual medley at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Phelps set an Olympic record in the preliminary heats of the men's 400-meter individual medley.⁶⁷ He followed that up in the final by winning the gold medal, as well as breaking his previous world record by nearly two seconds.

Phelps swam the first leg of the men's 4x100 m freestyle relay in a time of 47.51 seconds (an American record for the 100 m freestyle), and won his second gold medal of the 2008 Olympics, as well as setting his second world record of the Olympics (3:08.24). Teammate Jason Lezak, after beginning the anchor leg more than half a body length behind Alain Bernard, managed to finish ahead of the second-place French team by eight hundredths of a second. The top five teams in the final finished ahead of the world record of 3:12.23 set the day before by the American B team in a preliminary heat.⁶⁸

For his third race, Phelps broke his previous World Record in the 200-meter freestyle by nearly a second and won his third gold medal. He also set his third world record at the Olympics, 1:42.96, winning by nearly two seconds over silver medalist Park Tae-hwan.⁶⁹ In this race, Phelps became only the fifth Olympic athlete in modern history to win nine career gold medals, along with Mark Spitz, Larissa Latynina, Paavo Nurmi, and Carl Lewis.

Phelps holds his gold medal on the podium on August 10, 2008. Pictured with Ryan Lochte and László Cseh

The next day, Phelps participated in two finals. In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps made it four gold medals and world records in four events by swimming the final in 1:52.03, defeating silver medalist László Cseh by almost seven-tenths of a second despite his goggles filling up with water and being unable to "see anything for the last 100 meters."⁷⁰⁷¹ This fourth gold medal was his tenth, and made him the all-time leader for most Olympic gold medals won by an individual in the modern Olympic era. Less than one hour after his gold medal victory in the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps swam the lead-off leg of the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay. He won his fifth gold and set his fifth world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Melbourne, Australia, by more than four and a half seconds.⁷²

After taking a day off from finals (Phelps did swim in qualifying heats), Phelps won his sixth gold of the Beijing Games on August 15 by winning the 200-meter individual medley with a World Record time of 1:54.23, finishing ahead of Cseh by over two seconds.⁷³

On August 16, Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Games in the men’s 100-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record for the event with a time of 50.58 seconds and edging out his nearest competitor, Serbian-American swimmer Milorad Čavić, by 1/100 of a second.⁷⁴ Unlike all six of his previous events in the 2008 Games, Phelps did not set a new world record, leaving Ian Crocker’s world record time of 50.40 seconds, set in 2005, intact. Phelps’s 0.01-second finish ahead of Čavić prompted the Serbian delegation to file a protest; however, subsequent analysis of the video by the FINA panel, which required analyzing frames shot 1/10,000th of a second apart, confirmed Phelps’s victory.⁷⁵ The initial refusal by official timekeeper Omega, to release underwater photos of the finish also raised questions due to Phelps's sponsorship relationship with Omega.⁷⁶ Čavić later wrote in his blog: "People, this is the greatest moment of my life. If you ask me, it should be accepted and we should move on. I’ve accepted defeat, and there’s nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been".⁷⁷

Phelps’s seventh gold medal of the Games tied Mark Spitz’s record for gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, set in the 1972 Olympics. It was also his fifth individual gold medal in Beijing, tying the record for individual gold medals at a single Games originally set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by Vitaly Scherbo at the 1992 Summer Games. Said Phelps upon setting his seventh-straight Olympic record of the Games in as many events, "Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible ... I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."⁷⁹ Indeed a beautiful life - video summary of his 2008 gold medal wins⁸⁰

Michael Phelps celebrates with his team-mates after winning his 8th gold medal.

On August 17, Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the men’s 4 × 100-meter medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, which had stood since 1972.⁸¹ Phelps, along with teammates Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol, and Jason Lezak, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds, 0.7 seconds ahead of second-place Australia and 1.34 seconds faster than the previous record set by the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. When Phelps dived in to swim the 100-meter butterfly leg, the third leg of the 400-meter medley, the United States had been trailing Australia and Japan. Phelps completed his split in 50.1 seconds, the fastest butterfly split ever for the event, giving teammate Jason Lezak a more than half-second lead for the final leg, which he would hold onto to clinch the event in world record time.⁸² Said Phelps, upon completing the event that awarded him his eighth gold medal and eighth Olympic record in as many events, "Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are ... Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to."⁸³

In an article published in the wake of the event, The New York Times noted that, in the hours before his eighth and final event in the 2008 Games, had Michael Phelps been a country, "the Person’s Republic of Michael would have ranked fourth in gold medals [after China, the United States, and Germany] and been ahead of all but 14 countries in the medal count".⁸⁴ Only Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina holds more total career Olympic medals with 18 (nine gold), compared to Phelps's 16 (14 gold).

Honors and awards

Oprah Winfrey interviews Michael Phelps at September 3, 2008 taping of season-opening September 8, 2008 Oprah Winfrey Show at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Sources:^85868788

• World Swimmer of the Year Award: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
• American Swimmer of the Year Award: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Golden Goggle Male Performance of the Year: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Golden Goggle Relay Performance of the Year: 2006, 2007, 2008
• Golden Goggle Male Athlete of the Year: 2004, 2007, 2008
• ESPY Best Olympic Performance: 2005
• USOC SportsMan of the Year Award: 2004, 2008
• USSA Athlete of the Year Award: 2003
• World Championships Swimmer of the Meet: 2003
• James E. Sullivan Award: 2003
• Teen Choice Awards - Male Athlete: 2005
• Laureus World Sports Sportsman of the Year Award (Nominated): 2004, 2005, 2008
• USA Olympic Team Member: 2000, 2004, 2008
• Sports Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year: 2008
• Holds the record for most Olympic gold-medals: 14
• Holds the record for most Olympic gold-medals in individual events: 9
• Holds the record for most Olympic gold-medals at a single games: 8 (Beijing 2008)
• Street in his hometown of Baltimore was re-named The Michael Phelps Way: 2004

Major achievements

International events

LC: long course - 50 m pool; SC: short course - 25 m pool.

(WR) - World Record, (OR) - Olympic Record, (AR) - American Record

U.S. national titles

This biography of a living person does not cite any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2009) Find sources: (Michael Phelps – news, books, scholar)

With 38 national titles as of 2007^[update], Phelps is beginning to approach the record of 48 held by Tracy Caulkins.

Meters Nationals (38+5):

50 m free (1): '07 SCN

100 m free (4): '07 WIN, '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM

200 m free (7): '07 SUM (US), '06 SUM, '05 SUM, '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM (AR), '03 SPG

400 m free (2): '05 SPG, '03 SUM (AR)

100 m back (1): '07 SUM (US)

200 m back (4): '07 SUM (US), '04 SPG, '03 SUM, '03 SPG

100 m fly (7): '07 SUM, '06 SUM, '05 SPG, '04 SPG (US), '03 SPG, '02 SUM (AR), ’01 SUM

200 m fly (4): '06 SUM, '05 SUM, '02 SUM (US), '01 SPG (WR)

200 m IM (6): '06 SUM, '05 SPG, '04 SPG, '03 SUM (WR), '02 SUM (AR), ’01 SUM

400 m IM (2): '06 SUM, '02 SUM (WR)

4 x 100 m medley (2): '07 SUM, '06 SUM

4 x 100 m free (2): '07 SUM, '05 SUM

4 x 200 m free (1): '05 SUM (US)

Yards Nationals (2+1):

100 yd free (1): '07 SCYN

200 yd free (1): '07 SCYN

4 x 200 yd (180 m) free (1): '07 SCYN (AR)

• Relays do not count as individual national titles.
• USA Swimming is currently in the process of moving away from having two National Championships per year to only one. As a result, he has not and may not attend many more Spring Nationals.

Records and rankings

Currently held records

World records

With 32 world records (26 individual, 6 relay) as of August 2008^[update], Phelps is approaching Mark Spitz's record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay). All of the records were set in a long course (50 meter) pool; records that currently stand are indicated in bold. Currently, he holds seven world records.⁹¹

^a  with Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, and Jason Lezak

^b  with Neil Walker, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak

^c  with Ryan Lochte, Klete Keller, and Peter Vanderkaay

^d  with Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezak

^e  with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens, and Peter Vanderkaay

Best times and all-time event rankings

This biography of a living person does not cite any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2008) Find sources: (Michael Phelps – news, books, scholar)

See also

• World record progression 200 metres freestyle
• World record progression 100 metres butterfly
• World record progression 200 metres butterfly
• World record progression 200 metres medley
• World record progression 400 metres medley
• World record progression 4x100 metres freestyle relay
• World record progression 4x200 metres freestyle relay
• World record progression 4x100 metres medley relay
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Michael Phelps

• Michael Phelps official website
• Biography at USA Swimming
• Michael Phelps at the United States Olympic Committee.
• Sportspersons of the Year 2008 - Michael Phelps
• Phelps Winningest Olympic Athlete Ever in the Newseum archive of front page images from 08/13/2008
• Phelps wins record 8 gold medals in the Newseum archive of front page images from 08/17/2008
• Michael Phelps at the Internet Movie Database

Records
Preceded by Tom Malchow	Men's 200 metre butterfly world record holder (long course) March 30, 2001 – Present	Incumbent
Preceded by Tom Dolan	Men's 400 metre individual medley world record holder (long course) August 15, 2002 – Present	Incumbent
Preceded by Jani Sievinen	Men's 200 metre individual medley world record holder (long course) June 29, 2003 – Present	Incumbent
Preceded by Andriy Serdinov	Men's 100 metre butterfly world record holder (long course) July 25, 2003 – July 26, 2003	Succeeded by Ian Crocker
Preceded by Ian Thorpe	Men's 200 metre freestyle world record holder (long course) March 27, 2007 – Present	Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by Ian Thorpe	World Swimmer of the Year 2003–2004	Succeeded by Grant Hackett
Preceded by Grant Hackett	World Swimmer of the Year 2006–2008	Incumbent

Michael Phelps - Navigation Templates v • d • e 2000 USA Olympic Swimming Team Men's Team Pat Calhoun  •  Chad Carvin  •  Ian Crocker  •  Josh Davis  •  Tom Dolan  •  Nate Dusing  •  Anthony Ervin  •  Scott Goldblatt  •  Gary Hall Jr.  •  Tommy Hannan  •  Klete Keller  •  Lenny Krayzelburg  •  Jason Lezak  •  Tom Malchow  •  Ed Moses  •  Aaron Peirsol  •  Michael Phelps  •  Jamie Rauch  •  Kyle Salyards  •  Chris Thompson  •  Scott Tucker  •  Erik Vendt  •  Neil Walker  •  Tom Wilkens Women's Team Amanda Adkins  •  Samantha Arsenault  •  Amanda Beard  •  B.J. Bedford  •  Lindsay Benko  •  Brooke Bennett  •  Kim Black  •  Maddy Crippen  •  Misty Hyman  •  Kristy Kowal  •  Diana Munz  •  Rada Owen  •  Erin Phenix  •  Megan Quann  •  Gabrielle Rose  •  Kaitlin Sandeno  •  Courtney Shealy  •  Staciana Stitts  •  Julia Stowers  •  Ashley Tappin  •  Cristina Teuscher  •  Jenny Thompson  •  Dara Torres  •  Amy Van Dyken Coaches Peter Banks  •  Jack Bauerle  •  David Marsh  •  Richard Quick (Women's Head Coach)  •  Eddie Reese  •  Dave Salo  •  Mark Schubert (Men's Head Coach)  •  Jon Urbanchek v • d • e 2004 USA Olympic Swimming Team Men's Team Ian Crocker  •  Nate Dusing  •  Mark Gangloff  •  Scott Goldblatt  •  Gary Hall Jr.  •  Brendan Hansen  •  Bryce Hunt  •  Larsen Jensen  •  Klete Keller  •  Dan Ketchum  •  Lenny Krayzelburg  •  Jason Lezak  •  Ryan Lochte  •  Tom Malchow  •  Aaron Peirsol  •  Michael Phelps  •  Scott Usher  •  Peter Vanderkaay  •  Erik Vendt  •  Neil Walker  •  Gabe Woodward Women's Team Amanda Beard  •  Lindsay Benko  •  Caroline Bruce  •  Kristen Caverly  •  Haley Cope  •  Maritza Correia  •  Natalie Coughlin  •  Margaret Hoelzer  •  Katie Hoff  •  Rhi Jeffrey  •  Kara Lynn Joyce  •  Kalyn Keller  •  Dana Kirk  •  Tara Kirk  •  Rachel Komisarz  •  Colleen Lanné  •  Diana Munz  •  Carly Piper  •  Kaitlin Sandeno  •  Jenny Thompson  •  Dana Vollmer  •  Amanda Weir Coaches Bob Bowman  •  Frank Busch  •  Teri McKeever  •  Richard Quick  •  Eddie Reese (Men's Head Coach)  •  Dave Salo  •  Mark Schubert (Women's Head Coach)  •  Jon Urbanchek v • d • e 2008 USA Olympic Swimming Team Men's Team Nathan Adrian  •  Ricky Berens  •  Ian Crocker  •  Mark Gangloff  •  Matt Grevers  •  Brendan Hansen  •  Larsen Jensen  •  Cullen Jones  •  Klete Keller  •  Jason Lezak  •  Ryan Lochte  •  Aaron Peirsol  •  Michael Phelps  •  Eric Shanteau  •  Scott Spann  •  Gil Stovall  •  Peter Vanderkaay  •  Erik Vendt  •  Dave Walters  •  Mark Warkentin  •  Garrett Weber-Gale  •  Benjamin Wildman-Tobriner Women's Team Amanda Beard  •  Elizabeth Beisel  •  Elaine Breeden  •  Caroline Burckle  •  Natalie Coughlin  •  (Jessica Hardy)  •  Kathleen Hersey  •  Margaret Hoelzer  •  Katie Hoff  •  Megan Jendrick  •  Kara Lynn Joyce  •  Christine Magnuson  •  Christine Marshall  •  Lacey Nymeyer  •  Allison Schmitt  •  Emily Silver  •  Julia Smit  •  Rebecca Soni  •  Chloe Sutton  •  Dara Torres  •  Kim Vandenberg  •  Kate Ziegler Coaches  Jack Bauerle (Women's Head Coach)  •  Ray Benecki  •  Bob Bowman  •  Frank Busch  •  Sean Hutchison  •  Teri McKeever  •  Eddie Reese (Men's Head Coach)  •  Mark Schubert (National Team Head Coach)  •  Gregg Troy  •  Jon Urbanchek  •  Paul Yetter  • v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 200 m Freestyle 1900: Frederick Lane | 1904: (220 yards) Charles Daniels | 1968: Michael Wenden | 1972: Mark Spitz | 1976: Bruce Furniss | 1980: Sergey Kopliakov | 1984: Michael Gross | 1988: Duncan Armstrong | 1992: Yevgeny Sadovyi | 1996: Danyon Loader | 2000: Pieter van den Hoogenband | 2004: Ian Thorpe | 2008: Michael Phelps v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 100 m Butterfly 1968: Douglas Russell | 1972: Mark Spitz | 1976: Matt Vogel | 1980: Pär Arvidsson | 1984: Michael Gross | 1988: Anthony Nesty | 1992: Pablo Morales | 1996: Denis Pankratov | 2000: Lars Frölander | 2004: Michael Phelps | 2008: Michael Phelps v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 200 m Butterfly 1956: William Yorzyk | 1960: Michael Troy | 1964: Kevin Berry | 1968: Carl Robie | 1972: Mark Spitz | 1976: Mike Bruner | 1980: Sergey Fesenko, Sr. | 1984: Jon Sieben | 1988: Michael Gross | 1992: Melvin Stewart | 1996: Denis Pankratov | 2000: Tom Malchow | 2004: Michael Phelps | 2008: Michael Phelps v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 200 m Individual Medley 1968: Charles Hickcox | 1972: Gunnar Larsson | 1984: Alex Baumann | 1988: Tamás Darnyi | 1992: Tamás Darnyi | 1996: Attila Czene | 2000: Massimiliano Rosolino | 2004: Michael Phelps | 2008: Michael Phelps v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 400 m Individual Medley 1964: Richard Roth | 1968: Charles Hickcox | 1972: Gunnar Larsson | 1976: Rod Strachan | 1980: Aleksandr Sidorenko | 1984: Alex Baumann | 1988: Tamás Darnyi | 1992: Tamás Darnyi | 1996: Tom Dolan | 2000: Tom Dolan | 2004: Michael Phelps | 2008: Michael Phelps v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 4×200 m Freestyle Relay 1908: Great Britain (Derbyshire, Radimilovic, Foster, Taylor) | 1912: Australasia (Healy, Champion, Boardman, Hardwick) | 1920: USA (McGillivray, Kealoha, Ross, Kahanamoku) | 1924: USA (Weissmuller, O'Connor, Glancy, Breyer) | 1928: USA (Weissmuller, Clapp, Laufer, Kojac) | 1932: Japan (Yusa, Miyazaki, Yokoyama, Toyoda) | 1936: Japan (Yusa, Sugiura, Arai, Taguchi) | 1948: USA (Ris, McLane, Wolf, Smith) | 1952: USA (Moore, Woolsey, Konno, McLane) | 1956: Australia (O'Halloran, Devitt, Rose, Henricks) | 1960: USA (Harrison, Blick, Troy, Farrell) | 1964: USA (Schollander, Clark, Saari, Ilman) | 1968: USA (Schollander, Spitz, Nelson, Rerych) | 1972: USA (Spitz, Kinsella, Tyler, Genter) | 1976: USA (Bruner, Furniss, Naber, Montgomery) | 1980: Soviet Union (Kopliakov, Salnikov, Stukolkin, Krylov) | 1984: USA (Heath, Larson, Float, Hayes) | 1988: USA (Dalbey, Cetlinski, Gjertsen, Biondi) | 1992: Unified Team (Lepikov, Pyshnenko, Tayanovich, Sadovyi) | 1996: USA (Davis, Hudepohl, Schumacher, Berube) | 2000: Australia (Thorpe, Klim, Pearson, Kirby) | 2004: USA (Phelps, Lochte, Vanderkaay, Keller) | 2008: USA (Phelps, Lochte, Berens, Vanderkaay) v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 4×100 m Freestyle Relay 1964: USA (Clark, Austin, Ilman, Schollander) | 1968: USA (Zorn, Rerych, Spitz, Walsh) | 1972: USA (Edgar, Murphy, Heidenreich, Spitz) | 1984: USA (Cavanaugh, Heath, Biondi, Gaines) | 1988: USA (Jacobs, Dalbey, Jager, Biondi) | 1992: USA (Hudepohl, Biondi, Jager, Olsen) | 1996: USA (Olsen, Davis, Schumacher, Hall, Jr.) | 2000: Australia (Klim, Fydler, Callus, Thorpe) | 2004: South Africa (Schoeman, Ferns, Townsend, Neethling) | 2008: USA (Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones, Lezak) v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 4×100 m Medley Relay 1960 USA (McKinney, Hait, Larson, Farrell) | 1964 USA (Mann, Craig, Schmidt, Clark) | 1968 USA (Hickcox, McKenzie, Russell, Walsh) | 1972 USA (Stamm, Bruce, Spitz, Heidenreich) | 1976 USA (Naber, Hencken, Vogel, Montgomery) | 1980 Australia (Kerry, Evans, Tonelli, Brooks) | 1984 USA (Carey, Lundquist, Morales, Gaines) | 1988 USA (Berkoff, Schroeder, Biondi, Jacobs) | 1992 USA (Rouse, Diebel, Morales, Olsen) | 1996 USA (Rouse, Linn, Henderson, Hall, Jr.) | 2000 USA (Krayzelburg, Moses, Crocker, Hall, Jr.) | 2004 USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak) | 2008 USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Phelps, Lezak) v • d • e World Short Course Champions in Men's 200 m Freestyle 1993: Antti Kasvio (FIN) · 1995: Gustavo Borges (BRA) · 1997: Gustavo Borges (BRA) · 1999: Ian Thorpe (AUS) · 2000: Béla Szabados (HUN) · 2002: Klete Keller (USA) · 2004: Michael Phelps (USA) · 2006: Ryk Neethling (RSA) · 2008: Kenrick Monk (AUS) v • d • e Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 200 m Butterfly  1985: Anthony Mosse (NZL) •  1987: Melvin Stewart (USA) •  1989: Melvin Stewart (USA) •  1991: Melvin Stewart (USA) •  1993: Danyon Loader (NZL) •  1995: Scott Miller (AUS) •  1997: Ugur Taner (USA) •  1999: Tom Malchow (USA) •  2002: Tom Malchow (USA) •  2006: Michael Phelps (USA) v • d • e Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 200 m Individual Medley  1985: Pablo Morales (USA) •  1987: David Wharton (USA) •  1989: David Wharton (USA) •  1991: Gary Anderson (CAN) •  1993: Matthew Dunn (AUS) •  1995: Tom Dolan (USA) •  1997: Matthew Dunn (AUS) •  1999: Tom Wilkens (USA) •  2002: Michael Phelps (USA) •  2006: Michael Phelps (USA) v • d • e Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 400 m Individual Medley  1985: Ricardo Prado (BRA) •  1987: David Wharton (USA) •  1989: David Wharton (USA) •  1991: Eric Namesnik (USA) •  1993: Matthew Dunn (AUS) •  1995: Tom Dolan (USA) •  1997: Matthew Dunn (AUS) •  1999: Matthew Dunn (AUS) •  2002: Michael Phelps (USA) •  2006: Michael Phelps (USA) v • d • e Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 4×100 m Freestyle Relay  1985: USA (McCadam, Heath, Wallace, Biondi) •  1987: USA (Jacobs, Oppel, Dalbey, Biondi) •  1989: USA (Lang, Olsen, Gjertsen, Jager) •  1991: USA (Jordan, Jager, Olsen, Biondi) •  1993: USA (Hudepohl, Pepper, Fox, Olsen) •  1995: USA (Fox, Hudepohl, Olsen, Hall) •  1997: USA (Tucker, Schumacher, Olsen, Walker) •  1999: AUS (Klim, English, Fydler, Thorpe) •  2002: AUS (Callus, Pearson, Hackett, Thorpe) •  2006: USA (Phelps, Walker, Jones, Lezak) v • d • e Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 4×200 m Freestyle Relay  1985: USA (Heath, Biondi, Dillon, Oppel) •  1987: USA (Dalbey, Biondi, Cetlinski, Oppel) •  1989: USA (Stewart, Jorgensen, Olsen, Gjertsen) •  1991: USA (Dalbey, Jorgensen, Hudepohl, Olsen) •  1993: USA (Burgess, Eckerman, Taner, Davis) •  1995: AUS (Allen, Housman, Dunn, Kowalski) •  1997: USA (Carvin, Malchow, Taner, Davis) •  1999: AUS (Thorpe, Kirby, Hackett, Klim) •  2002: AUS (Hackett, Stevens, Cram, Thorpe) •  2006: USA (Phelps, Lochte, Vanderkaay, Keller) v • d • e Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 4×100 m Medley Relay  1985: USA (Carey, Moffet, Morales, Biondi) •  1987: USA (Veatch, Schroeder, Morales, Biondi) •  1989: USA (Rouse, Korhammer, Morales, Biondi) •  1991: USA (Rouse, Barrowman, Henderson, Biondi) •  1993: USA (Rouse, Van Neerden, Henderson, Olsen) •  1995: USA (Rouse, Wunderlich, Henderson, Hall) •  1997: USA (Krayzelburg, Grote, Dusing, Walker) •  1999: USA (Krayzelburg, Grote, Wales, Walker) •  2002: USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Phelps, Lezak) •  2006: USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak) v • d • e Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year 1954: Roger Bannister · 1955: Johnny Podres · 1956: Bobby Joe Morrow · 1957: Stan Musial · 1958: Rafer Johnson · 1959: Ingemar Johansson · 1960: Arnold Palmer · 1961: Jerry Lucas · 1962: Terry Baker · 1963: Pete Rozelle · 1964: Ken Venturi · 1965: Sandy Koufax · 1966: Jim Ryun · 1967: Carl Yastrzemski · 1968: Bill Russell · 1969: Tom Seaver · 1970: Bobby Orr · 1971: Lee Trevino · 1972: Billie Jean King & John Wooden · 1973: Jackie Stewart · 1974: Muhammad Ali · 1975: Pete Rose · 1976: Chris Evert · 1977: Steve Cauthen · 1978: Jack Nicklaus · 1979: Terry Bradshaw & Willie Stargell · 1980: U.S. Olympic Hockey Team · 1981: Sugar Ray Leonard · 1982: Wayne Gretzky · 1983: Mary Decker · 1984: Edwin Moses & Mary Lou Retton · 1985: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar · 1986: Joe Paterno · 1987: Bob Bourne, Judi Brown King, Kipchoge Keino, Dale Murphy, Chip Rives, Patty Sheehan, Rory Sparrow, & Reggie Williams · 1988: Orel Hershiser · 1989: Greg LeMond · 1990: Joe Montana · 1991: Michael Jordan · 1992: Arthur Ashe · 1993: Don Shula · 1994: Bonnie Blair & Johann Olav Koss · 1995: Cal Ripken, Jr. · 1996: Tiger Woods · 1997: Dean Smith · 1998: Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa · 1999: U.S. Women's Soccer Team · 2000: Tiger Woods · 2001: Curt Schilling & Randy Johnson · 2002: Lance Armstrong · 2003: David Robinson & Tim Duncan · 2004: Boston Red Sox · 2005: Tom Brady · 2006: Dwyane Wade · 2007: Brett Favre · 2008: Michael Phelps v • d • e Sullivan Award winners 1930:  Jones | 1931: Bernard Berlinger | 1932: Bausch | 1933: Cunningham | 1934: William Bonthron | 1935: Little | 1936: Morris | 1937: Budge | 1938: Lash | 1939: Burk | 1940: J. Gregory Rice | 1941: T. Leslie MacMitchell | 1942: Warmerdam | 1943: Gilbert R. Dodds | 1944: Curtis | 1945: Blanchard | 1946: Y. Arnold Tucker | 1947: Kelly | 1948: Mathias | 1949: Button | 1950: Fred Wilt | 1951: Richards | 1952: Ashenfelter | 1953: Lee | 1954: Whitfield | 1955: Dillard | 1956: McCormick | 1957: Morrow | 1958: Davis | 1959: O'Brien | 1960: Johnson | 1961: Rudolph | 1962: Beatty | 1963: Pennel | 1964:  Schollander | 1965: Bradley | 1966: Ryun | 1967: Matson | 1968: Meyer | 1969: Toomey | 1970: Kinsella | 1971: Spitz | 1972: Shorter | 1973: Walton | 1974: Wohlhuter | 1975: Shaw | 1976: Jenner | 1977: Naber | 1978: Caulkins | 1979: Thomas | 1980: Heiden | 1981: Lewis | 1982: Decker | 1983: Moses | 1984: Louganis | 1985: Benoit | 1986: Joyner-Kersee | 1987: Abbott | 1988: Griffith-Joyner | 1989: Evans | 1990: Smith | 1991: Powell | 1992: Blair | 1993: Ward | 1994: Jansen | 1995: Baumgartner | 1996: Johnson | 1997: Manning | 1998: Holdsclaw | 1999: C. Miller & K. Miller | 2000: Gardner | 2001: Kwan | 2002: Hughes | 2003: Phelps | 2004: Hamm | 2005: Redick | 2006: Long | 2007: Tebow | 2008: Johnson