Michael Phelps

Athlete4 list appearances

Historical Milestone: Most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time (28 Olympic Medals: 23 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze); won an all-time record 8 Gold Medals at Beijing 2008 Unprecedented Swimming Biometrics: Possesses an anomalous morphological physiology tailored for hydrodynamics: height of 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) with an extraordinary 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) wingspan (3 inches greater than his height); torso of a 6-foot-8 man with relatively short legs (32-inch inseam) reducing drag; size 14 feet with hyper-flexible double-jointed ankles acting as biological flippers; and generates roughly half the lactic acid of competing athletes. North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC): Coached from age 11 by Bob Bowman. Diagnosed with ADHD in sixth grade; swimming served as physical and mental regulation. Qualified for his first Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 at age 15, the youngest American male swimmer in 68 years. Athens 2004 to Rio 2016: Won six golds and two bronzes in Athens 2004. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, achieved the greatest individual performance in Olympic history: won 8 Gold Medals in 8 events, breaking Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven, setting seven world records, including an unforgettable 0.01-second fingertip touch victory over Milorad Čavić in the 100m butterfly. Retired after London 2012, came out of retirement in 2014, and capped his legacy at Rio 2016 winning five golds and one silver at age 31.

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