iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.
iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.



Link to original content: http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/51572
Olympedia – Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameMark Andrew•Spitz
Used nameMark•Spitz
Born10 February 1950 in Modesto, California (USA)
Measurements183 cm / 73 kg
AffiliationsArden Hills Swim Club, Sacramento (USA)
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 9
Silver 1
Bronze 1
Total 11

Biography

After five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games, great things were expected of Mark Spitz at the 1968 Olympics, but he surprisingly failed to win an individual event. Before the 1972 Olympics, however, Spitz became undoubtedly the world’s greatest swimmer, and considered by many the greatest ever. In 1971 he became the first swimmer to win four individual AAU titles at one meet, setting three world records in the process.

The next week, at a meet in East Germany, he won all four events again, this time breaking all four world records. The performance made him an overwhelming choice for the 1971 Sullivan Award. At the 1972 Olympics, Spitz set an Olympic record by winning seven gold medals, all of them in world-record time, the seven gold medals broken only in 2008 by Michael Phelps. Overall, he won 24 AAU championships, eight NCAA titles (while at Indiana University), and set 32 world records.

After the 1972 Olympics he capitalized on his fame through various commercial interests, and invested heavily in California real estate. He returned to competition in 1991 with the aim of making the Olympic team the following year but, as he was over 40 years of age, it was a forlorn hope and an unfortunate end to a career of unrivaled achievements.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1968 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) USA Mark Spitz
100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 3 Bronze
4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) United States 1 Gold
4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) United States 1 Gold
100 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) 2 Silver
200 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) 8
1972 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) USA Mark Spitz
100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
200 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) United States 1 Gold
4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Men (Olympic) United States 1 Gold
100 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
200 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Men (Olympic) United States 1 Gold

Special Notes