FULL NAME—Michael Fred Phelps
BIRTHDATE: June 30, 1985.
HOME TOWN—Baltimore, Md.
FAMILY—Mother, Debbie; father Fred; sisters Hilary Phelps and Whitney Flickinger.
EXPERIENCE—Winner of record eight gold swimming medals at Beijing Olympics(seven in world-record time, one in Olympic record time); winningest Olympian ever with 14 golds; won eight medals, including six golds, at 2004 Athens Olympics; winner of seven gold medals at 2007 world championships in Australia.
PERSONAL—Hobbies (playing video games, watching TV); pets (a cat and an English bulldog named Herman); way he relaxes (sleeping, watching ESPN's"SportsCenter"); music (hip hop); father is a police officer, mother is middle school principal in Baltimore County.
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 was fifth in the 200 m 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.[16] He then broke his own record at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan (1:54.58). At the 2002 Summer Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Phelps also broke the world record for the...
