Mark Spitz Biography

Name : Mark Spitz

Birth Name : Mark Andrew Spitz

Date of Birth : 10 February 1950

Place of Birth : Modesto, California, USA

Height : 6' 1''

Nationality : American

Profession : Sportsman (Swimmer)

Mark Spitz Trivia

Winner of an unprecedented 7 gold medals in swimming at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Winner of 2 gold medals in the 1968 Mexico City olympics.
Sons: Matthew (b. 1981) and Justin (b. 1991)
Considered the swiftest swimmer of all time, made his big splash during the 1972 Olympics, becoming the first athlete to win seven gold medals in an Olympiad. His performances were even more remarkable considering world records were set in all seven events.
Still only aged 22, he retired from swimming after the Munich Olympics.
After he won the 200m free-style in the 1972 (Munich) Olympics, he celebrated by swinging his sneakers in front of the cameras. He had to explain to the organizing comitee that he was just euphoric, not doing publicity.
In the 1967 Pan-American Games (Winnipeg), he won 5 gold medals.
Inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, 1983 (charter member).
American swimming sensation 19-year old Michael Phelps aspired to break Spitz's record of 7 gold medals, at the Athens Olympics. Phelps, however, had to settle for 8 medals, 6 gold, and 2 bronze, respectively.
Idol of Australian freestyle swimmer and 9-time Olympic champion, Ian Thorpe.


Mark Spitz Detailed Biography

American swimmer Mark Spitz achieved an Olympic record in 1972 that may never be equalled: seven gold medals. Perhaps no one athlete put more pressure on himself than American swimmer Mark Spitz. The athlete's bold predictions and cocky disposition made it almost impossible for him to live up to the standards he was setting for himself. Mark Spitz began swimming at the age of two and as far back as he could remember, he ruled the pool. Mark Spitz held 17 national records (for his age group) at the age of ten and was named "the world's best 10-and-under swimmer." At age 16, he won his first AAU National Championship. And the following year he won five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games and laid claim to ten world records. He couldn't help but think he was the best. So before the 1968 games in Mexico City, Spitz predicted he would accomplish what no one else had to win six gold medals. Mark Spitz ended up with two team golds, plus an individual silver and bronze. It's tough for someone to be disappointed with four Olympic medals, but Spitz was.

Mark Spitz spent the next four years at Indiana University, winning almost every conceivable award, setting almost every world record in existence, and preparing himself for the 1972 Olympics in Munich. At Munich, not only did Spitz win the six golds he predicted four years before he won seven! And not only did he win all seven, but world records were set in each event. He won four individual golds in the 200m butterfly, the 200m freestyle, the 100m butterfly and the 100m freestyle. Mark Spitz also added three team golds as the United States won the 4x100m freestyle relay, the 4x200m relay, and the 4x100 medley relay. It was the greatest performance by an Olympic athlete in history. Tragedy then struck the 1972 games as Palestinian terrorists killed two Israelis and taking nine others hostage. Spitz, who is Jewish, left Germany for London before the closing ceremonies. The nine hostages were later killed.

Mark Spitz's performance coupled with his good looks made Spitz an instant celebrity back in the states. A host of endorsements and a short-lived television career followed but he eventually settled in to a profitable real estate career. Seventeen years later, at the age of 39, Mark Spitz began training again with the hopes of earning a spot on the 1992 Olympic team. The familiar mustache was gone but the fire remained. Alas Mark Spitz fell short in qualifying and had to settle for a whopping career total of 11 Olympic medals. Olympic champion Mark Spitz is available for personal appearances at your next event - contact us today to arrange an appearance.

Source: http://www.netglimse.com

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Michael Phelps Mother

Michael Phelps Mother : Debbie Phelps

Michael Phelps Parents: Fred and Debbie Phelps (divorced)

Michael Phelps Profile:

Date of Birth : 30 June 1985, Baltimore, Maryland, USA


Birth Name : Michael Fred Phelps


Nickname : Flying Fish


Height : 6' 4" (1.93 m)


Michael Phelps Mini Biography

Michael Phelps is the newest phenomenon to take the swimming world by storm. Before the Olympics started, rumor had it that a 19 year-old from Baltimore was thinking of trying to match or even surpass Mark Spitz's legendary seven gold medals. By his fourth race with one gold and two bronze it was obvious he couldn't tie it but instead he could match Russian gymanst's Alexander Dityatin's record of eight medals in one Olympics. Every race after the two bronze he came away with gold. After his seventh race he did a truly noble thing by handing over his butterfly leg on the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay to Ian Crocker a rival and now a friend. To everyone this was deemed the most selfless act of the games but to Michael it was just giving his team mate another chance. Throughout the entire week of competition he barely managed to sleep so when he finally got to rest he went to check out how the dominant women's teams were doing and enjoying the culture and atmosphere in Athens. The success in Athens was amazing and now he will begin training for the 2008 Olympics in Bejing.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Annie Bansmer


Trade Mark

His black Cadillac Escalade

The Condor Flap: to loosen up for a swimming competition, he bends over and flaps his long arms up and down like a large bird.


Trivia

Siblings: 2 sisters, Whitney (born 1978) and Hilary (born 1980)

Parents: Fred and Debbie Phelps (divorced)

He won 6 gold and 2 bronze medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Sponsors: Speedo, Omega, AT&T, Powerbar, Visa, Argent Mortgage

He was the youngest male Olympian since 1932 (he was only 15 when he made it in the 2000 Olympics).

Has a street named after him in his hometown Baltimore,Maryland.

First person under one minute and 55 seconds in 200m fly with world record swim.

His sister, Whitney, was a member of the 1995 World Championship team.

Became the youngest male swimmer ever to set a world record at the age of 15 years and nine months, breaking the record in the 200m butterfly.

Attending the University of Michigan (2004)

"Phelps Flys", winning 8 medals at the 2004 Olympics, was ranked #17 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Most Awesome Sports Moments (of the last 15 years)". [17 July 2005 issue]

Winner of the "Sports - Choice Athlete (male)" category at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards.

His feet have been referred to as "fins" by the media, because he wears a size 14 shoe. His wing span measures in at 6 foot 7 inches.

Graduated from Towson High School (2003).

World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

Has won 17 titles at World Championships between 2001 and 2007.

Currently holds six long course world records.

Grew up in the Rodgers Forge section of Baltimore County just south of Towson.

Michael PhelpsPersonal Quotes:

"Winning the gold in Greece was a dream come true but going on this tour with Ian and Lenny and meeting the young swimming stars of tomorrow has been simply incredible."

"I have my family and friends, so really I'm just another high school kid."

"I listen to Eminem on my headphones. I don't know the name of it but I think that just listening to that fires me up. It's working so far I just hope it keeps up." - Michael Phelps

Where Are They Now

(October 2004) Resting up a sore back at home and getting ready to start training at University of Michigan.

Source: http://www.imdb.com

Photo Credit: timesonline.co.uk

Debbie Phelps puts her hand on the USA's Olympic hero and her son Michael Phelps

Debbie Phelps has a hand in sharing son's Olympic glory

Debbie Phelps puts her hand on the USA's Olympic hero and her son Michael Phelps after he completed his goal of winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Games.

BEIJING — Over the last nine days, Debbie Phelps has met President Bush and the First Lady. She's had Kobe Bryant and LeBron James blowing her kisses from across a packed arena.
Friends told her the Baltimore Ravens showed her son swimming on the Jumbotron during a preseason game, that Bruce Springsteen dedicated the song Born in the USA to him during a concert.

And she's watched her son, 23-year-old Michael Phelps, win a record eight Olympic gold medals, the single greatest Olympic performance ever. He also has the most career golds of any Olympian, with 14.

"It's just like, 'Wow.' It's so much to embrace, to put your arms around," she says.

She could do little more over those nine days than give her son a hug and a rub on the head every day as he stopped to say hello while walking around the pool deck with another gold medal hanging around his neck. Each time he gave her the flowers he got on the medals podium — her hotel room now looks like a florist shop.

She's having the flowers preserved, she says. Her son is saving every swim cap, every suit, every pair of goggles and every article of clothing he wore.

"I have the memories, I have pictures, I'll have the medals forever," Phelps says.

He's likely to have the eight-golds record for a very long time. It had been 36 years since Mark Spitz won seven golds at the 1972 Olympics.

"The Olympic Games live on heroes," International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said as he left the Water Cube after watching Phelps' final race, in the 4x100-meter medley relay, on Sunday. "How do you compare him to (legendary Finnish runner) Paavo Nurmi? To Jesse Owens? Michael is very high up there, in a very elite league."

It had been eight years since Phelps first put Spitz's mark in his sights. At the 2004 Olympics, Phelps finished just short of it, with six gold and eight bronze medals.

"What he did still is an amazing feat," Phelps says of Spitz, "and will always be an amazing accomplishment in the swimming world and also the Olympics. Being able to have something like that to shoot for, I think, it made those days when you were tired and didn't want to be there and you just wanted to go home and sleep (instead of) work out — it made those days easier."

Phelps made some of his eight victories in Beijing look easy. He lowered his own world record in his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, by more than a second. He won the 200-meter freestyle by nearly two seconds.

Others were nail-biting dramatic. The U.S. men's victory in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay Monday took a superhuman anchor leg by Jason Lezak to pass France. Phelps' victory in the 100-meter butterfly Saturday took a miraculous finish by Phelps, who imperceptibly touched out silver medalist Milorad Cavic of Serbia for a winning margin of one one-hundredth of a second.

"The term 'Spitzean feat' might be kind of outdated now. It might be a 'Phelpsean feat,'" U.S. teammate Aaron Peirsol says..

The 100 fly was the only event in which Phelps did not set a world record. He was more disappointed, though, in his finishing time in the 200-meter butterfly. In that race, his goggles started filling with water as he dove in off the starting blocks. By the time he headed for his last turn, he couldn't see at all. He had to count strokes to know when to turn.

He ripped off his goggles in frustration when it was over. He had won and set a world record, but his time wasn't as fast as he set out to do.

No one watching was disappointed.

"Our whole country can be proud of him," says Peter Ueberroth, U.S. Olympic committee chairman. "Maybe in this era, nobody makes us prouder."

Bush told Phelps in a congratulatory call Sunday from his Texas ranch that "if you can handle eight gold medals, you can handle anything."

Through it all, even as Bush came to watch his first race and the NBA stars playing on the U.S. Olympic basketball team came to others, Phelps stayed even keel. While they were eating at the athletes' village, his U.S. swimming teammates would ask him if he realized what he was doing.

"He was like, 'Man, pizza's good today,'" Brendan Hansen says.

They could see what he was doing, and as the meet wore on, his teammates were asked many questions about it.

"I think years and years down the road we'll realize more and more how amazing he is and how special he really is," says Natalie Coughlin, who won six medals in Beijing.

Hansen tried to put it in context for non-swimming fans.

"He just made the pressure putt in the U.S. Open to win it, just won the Tour de France and he just knocked out Muhammad Ali in the last round. He just did all three of those things in a week," Hansen says.

The record-breaker came Sunday in the 4x100-meter medley relay, in which Peirsol swam the opening backstroke leg, Hansen the breaststroke leg, Phelps the butterfly leg and Lezak the anchor freestyle leg.

After Lezak climbed out of the water, the four U.S. swimmers huddled like a football team on the pool deck. In the huddle, Phelps' teammates congratulated him.

"We're all very proud — and I'll speak for myself especially — to be part of something as special as this and to end this wonderful meet on such a high note," Peirsol says.

When the huddle broke, Phelps acknowledged the crowd's cheers by raising both arms and pumping his fists in the air. Moments later, he stepped on the medal podium for an eighth and final time, his eyes welling up as they had been all week as he watched the U.S. flag raised and listened to the national anthem.

"I don't want to forget anything that happened," Phelps says. "With getting emotional like I was on the awards stands, those are moments and experiences that will live with me forever."

They'll live with his mom as well, who let the tears flow every time she saw her son on the podium.

"There's not one single word that can express how I feel," she says. "I can say proud, I can say honored, I can say it's a performance you want to see your child achieve."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com

2008 olympics schedule

Beijing 2008 olympics schedule

Complete events schedule from the official site of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing at en.beijing2008.cn/schedule

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Michael Phelps Father and Mother

Michael Phelps Father: Fred Phelps

Michael Phelps Mother: Debbie

Where's Phelps' dad?

Fair or not, nosy or simply curious, I think people back in the United States are watching Michael Phelps nightly on NBC and making note of the many shots they see of Debbie Phelps cheering from the stands. The omission is probably striking to some: We see Michael's mom, but what about dad?

Brief background: Fred and Debbie separated for good in 1993, and the divorce was finalized the next year, when Michael was 9. By all accounts, Fred Phelps wasn't an everyday figure in his children's lives for much of Phelps' adolescence. In my column yesterday, I mentioned that Phelps' older sisters, Hilary and Whitney, both played pivotal roles in his development, not just as a swimmer but as a young man.

They did reconcile with their father several years ago but have since drifted apart again. Fred Phelps was in Greece. He is not in Beijing. When I asked his daughters in the weeks leading up to these Olympics whether their father would be attending, they each said, "I don't know."

Our Sun colleague, Childs Walker, spoke with Fred Phelps this week to request an interview. Fred thought about it, and I think he probably handled the request as well as he could. He declined, saying he didn't want to take away from his son's accomplishments by delving into the family story.

"This is just about Michael," he said. "This is his glory, his time to shine, and I want him to get everything he wants."

Rest assured, while Phelps is in the Beijing pool, his father is paying close attention, cheering from back in Maryland.

"I'm just on pins and needles every time he hits the water," Fred Phelps said.

Source: www.baltimoresun.com

Photo Credit: www.latimes.com

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Alicia Sacramone Vogue

Shawn, Nastia, Chellsie Memmel, and Alicia Sacramone in Vogue as photographed by Annie Leibowitz.

Source: rawles.livejournal.com

Alicia Marie Sacramone (born December 3, 1987) is an American artistic gymnast. A member of the U.S. National Team, she is the 2005 World Champion on floor exercise, the 2008 U.S. National Champion on vault, and a seven-time medalist at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She is also a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

Sacramone began gymnastics at the age of eight, began competing in the elite ranks in 2002 and joined the U.S. national team in 2003. Since 2005 she has been a key member of the U.S. team, and has won two World Championship titles and seven World Championships medals in total. Shannon Miller and Nastia Liukin are the only American gymnasts to hold more World Championships medals than Sacramone; 1970s gymnast Kurt Thomas also has seven. Sacramone has also become known as the "spiritual and social leader" of the U.S. gymnastics team, frequently rallying and supporting her teammates and offering advice in stressful situations.

Personal information

Full name: Alicia Marie Sacramone
Country Represented: United States
Date of birth: December 3, 1987 (1987-12-03) (age 20)
Place of birth: Boston, Massachusetts
Hometown: Winchester, Massachusetts
Height: 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)
Discipline: Women's Artistic Gymnastics
Level: Senior International
Years on National Team: 6 (2002-2008)
Club: Brestyan's American Gymnastics
College team: Brown University
Head coach(es): Mihai Brestyan
Assistant coach(es): Sylvie Brestyan
Music: Santa Maria (gotan project)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org


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