The Greatest Americans
Michael Phelps became the most successful Olympian of all time by winning two more Beijing gold medals to take his career tally to an unprecedented 11 victories.
The mighty Phelps overtook an elite group including Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis who had won nine golds by breaking his own world record in the men's 200 metre butterfly. An hour later, the 23-year-old was back in the pool with his American team-mates to win the men's 200 metres freestyle relay, knocking over four seconds off the previous world best. It was his fifth gold from these Games adding to six in Athens in 2004. Phelps is now within reach of Spitz's record of seven golds in one Games. With each of his Beijing golds coming in record times he is also tracking Spitz's achievement of winning each of the 1972 titles in world best times. Phelps overcame his goggles filling with water to touch in 1:52.03 in the fly.
The mighty Phelps overtook an elite group including Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis who had won nine golds by breaking his own world record in the men's 200 metre butterfly. An hour later, the 23-year-old was back in the pool with his American team-mates to win the men's 200 metres freestyle relay, knocking over four seconds off the previous world best. It was his fifth gold from these Games adding to six in Athens in 2004. Phelps is now within reach of Spitz's record of seven golds in one Games. With each of his Beijing golds coming in record times he is also tracking Spitz's achievement of winning each of the 1972 titles in world best times. Phelps overcame his goggles filling with water to touch in 1:52.03 in the fly.