Michael Phelps Wins World Record Medals

Michael Phelps, the star of the US swimming team in the Beijing Olympics, recently won his eighth gold medal in row, a world record for the most medals ever won in a single Olympics. Already one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history (a total of sixteen: six gold and two bronze at the Athens games in 2004, and eight gold in the Beijing games), he broke the record for most gold medals won in a single Olympics on August 16, with eight in total. The previous record for most medals in a single Olympics was held by Mark Spitz, who won seven gold medals in the 1972 games.

Phelps holds four world records to his name: the 200 m freestyle, 200 m butterfly, 200 m IM, 400 m IM. He has also broken three world records (the 4x100 m freestyle relay, the 4x200 freestyle relay, and the 4x100 m medley relay) along with his team. Phelps currently ranks second in total Olympic career medals at sixteen, only behind Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina, who won eighteen medals (nine of them gold) over three Olympic Games.

In total, Phelps has won forty gold medals over his swimming career from competing in various championships such as the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships. During the current Beijing Olympic games, he has won gold in all eight swimming events he has competed in and broken a total of seven world records.