Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985) is an American swimmer and 11-time Olympic Gold medalist who holds world records in several events.
Phelps won eight medals in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, which tied him with Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin for the most medals of any type in any one Olympics.
Overall, Phelps has won thirteen Olympic medals (eleven gold, two bronze): eight at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens (six gold, two bronze) and five at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (all gold),[3] which gave him the most gold medals of any Olympic athlete of the modern Olympic era.
Phelps' international titles, along with his various world records, have resulted in him being awarded the World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and American Swimmer of the Year Award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.
So far, Phelps has won a total of 45 career medals: 37 golds, 6 silvers and 2 bronze. This includes all the Championships he has competed in: The Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships.
Phelps has qualified to compete in eight swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and is attempting to surpass fellow US swimmer Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Olympics.