Mark Spitz

American swimmer whose 1972 seven-gold sweep stood as the Olympic record for 36 years until Phelps.

Born in Modesto, California, on February 10, 1950, Mark Andrew Spitz began swimming competitively as a child after his family moved to Hawaii when he was two years old. His talent emerged early under the guidance of coach Sherm Chavoor in California, where the family later relocated. By age 17, Spitz held 17 national age-group records and one world record, establishing himself as one of America's most promising swimmers. Spitz's international career began at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where he boldly predicted he would win six gold medals. The brash teenager fell short of his own expectations, capturing only two golds in relay events while earning silver in the 100-meter butterfly and bronze in the 100-meter freestyle. The disappointing performance motivated him to refine his training and mental approach over the next four years. The 1972 Munich Olympics marked Spitz's redemption and cemented his place in sports history. He achieved an unprecedented feat by winning seven gold medals—in the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and three relay events—setting world records in each event. This performance surpassed the previous record of five individual golds held by speed skater Eric Heiden. His Munich achievements were cut short when he was evacuated from the Olympic Village for security reasons following the terrorist attack on Israeli athletes, as Spitz is Jewish. Spitz's seven-gold performance at a single Olympics stood as the ultimate achievement in Olympic swimming for 36 years until Michael Phelps won eight golds in Beijing in 2008. His total of nine Olympic gold medals represented the all-time record until Phelps surpassed it. Beyond his Olympic success, Spitz set 35 world records during his career and became the first swimmer to win seven events at a single Olympics. He retired from competitive swimming at age 22, shortly after Munich, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1977.

Butterfly and freestyle specialist with exceptional technique

Greatest Olympic swimmer of his era, held records for decades

• 1972 Munich: 7 golds all in world-record time
• 1968 Mexico City: 2 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze