PHELPS POOLING THE GOLD Aug 27, 2008
Phelps has already earned a 1 million bonus from swimwear maker Speedo, at the Olympics, for breaking the 36-year-old record for the most gold medals earned in a single Olympics, which was set by Mark Spitz. Last year, Phelps was said to have earned about 5 million from marketing and endorsement deals with companies like Visa, Omega, Power Bar, Speedo and AT. (New York Post -- Business)
Phelps' golds benefit YMCA's swim programs Aug 26, 2008
But this year, in particular, because of Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz. The parents of kids remember Mark Spitz, Krula said. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Overtraining in Fitness Aug 26, 2008
When Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympics, he swam an average of 9000 metres per day in his training routine. This was surpassed by average university/college swimmers by 1990 and almost quadrupled (35000 metres) by Olympic swimmers in 1995. (Suite101.com)
Celizic: Phelps, Bolt will go down as Beijing's main men Aug 25, 2008
Jerry Lampen / ReutersMichael Phelps won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, breaking Mark Spitz' record for golds at a single Games ... His quest to break Mark Spitz' record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics was the hyped as the story of the Games, and rightly so. (MSNBC -- Sports)
HIESTAND: An analysis of the TV ratings Aug 25, 2008
Or Mark Spitz' seven golds in 1972 could make swimming a TV draw. Don't hold your breath. (USA Today -- Sports)
Olympic Photo Finish Shown Aug 25, 2008
Last week's victory gave Phelps his seventh gold medal of the games, tying him with Mark Spitz for most golds in a single Olympics. A day later, Phelps won his eighth gold as a member of the United States' 400 medley relay squad. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Technology)
We look back at the winners... and the losers Aug 25, 2008
Some of his golds he won easily, others were agonisingly close, but at the end of the day the legendary seven golds won by Mark Spitz in Munich 35 years ago had finally been surpassed. The unassuming American now holds the record of Olympic titles at 14 and he fully intends to compete in London in four years time when he will be just 27 years old. (iAfrica.com)
Final memories Aug 25, 2008
Phelps' pursuit of Mark Spitz could continue. Volunteer story, Part 2. (The Palm Beach Post)
Adding a little rhyme to the '08 Olympics Aug 24, 2008
Mark Spitz, Richardson noted, swam only the freestyle and butterfly, and nothing longer than 200 meters. "The 100 fly is a sprint, the 400 IM is not a sprint at all," Richardson said. (Fresno Bee -- Sports)
Britains Olympic gold medal glory day by day Aug 23, 2008
34, beating Mark Spitz s record of seven golds at Munich in 1972. It takes his overall Olympic gold medal haul to 14 after he claimed six in Athens. (WalesOnline)
Hackett can do hat-trick: Perkins Aug 23, 2008
"Every time he swims he does things we we can't believe in the sport. If he walks away with five, six, seven gold medals he deserves all of the adulation he can get. "You'd have to say we haven't seen an athlete like Michael Phelps since Mark Spitz, so that's three or four generations. It is unbelievable. (Yahoo News -- Swimming)
Set politics aside and watch history unfold Aug 22, 2008
I wasn't around when Mark Spitz won his seven gold medals in 1972, but I'm glad I've been staying up late every night to watch history unfold. John RogersKingsburg. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
VOICES OF FAITH: God is with you, but you do the work Aug 22, 2008
But as the week wore on and it became apparent that Phelps quest to best Mark Spitz s 36-year-old record might prove successful, I found I had to stay up so I could watch the live broadcasts from Beijing. While it was exciting to watch the medley in which Phelps clinched his eighth and record-setting medal, the race that gripped my imagination was the thrilling seventh meet in which he prevailed by one one-100th of a second. (Concord Journal, MA)
Team Memorabilia Stays; Courtside Seats Go Aug 22, 2008
Swimmer Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz's record seven gold medal medals in a single Olympics by winning eight ... Swimming's Mark Spitz. (KIRO TV, WA)
Alvord: Can't get enough of Beijing Games Aug 22, 2008
As for mid-party observations, it s difficult not to begin with U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, the toothy kid from Baltimore who won eight gold medals to eclipse Mark Spitz s record (seven, 1972 in Munich). Spitz, if you ll remember, struck gold while wearing a marble-sack Speedo adorned with American flags, a Magnum P.I. mustache, a bushy head of hair and no swim cap. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Think Outside the Wheaties Box Aug 22, 2008
Mark Spitz Strikes Gold in New Endorsements (Nike, Coca-Cola, Allergan, Visa, Hilton Hotels) at SmartMoney ... IT SURELY RANKLED Mark Spitz's competitive pride when Michael Phelps shattered his record for Olympic gold ... You Are Viewing: Mark Spitz Strikes Gold in New Endorsements (Nike, Coca-Cola, Allergan, Visa, Hilton Hotels). (SmartMoney)
Mark Spitz on Phelps: He couldn't beat me! Aug 21, 2008
Mark Spitz: Michael Phelps couldn't have beaten me. Mark Spitz: Michael Phelps couldn't have beaten me ... Swimming legend Mark Spitz holds the Sports Illustrated cover of Olympic phenom Michael Phelps recreating his famous pose in an event at Grand Central on Wednesday. (The Drudge Report)
Phelps tries for success out of the swim tank Aug 21, 2008
Pizza Hut is giving Michael Phelps free pizza and pasta for a year his teammates, too for beating Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympics ... And Tiger Woods sure passed, but Mark Spitz didn't. (Pekin Times, IL)
Like father, like son when it comes to the Olympic Games Aug 21, 2008
In 1972, when I was 6, my dad was stationed on an Air Force base in West Germany, and while we departed Europe a month before the Olympics began, I still recall going to Munich to look at the Olympic stadium, the Village and the swimming pool where Mark Spitz would win seven gold medals. In 1976, when I was 10, I was at my cousin's house during the Montreal Olympics, where the U.S. boxing team won five gold medals, Bruce Jenner earned a spot on a Wheaties' box and the Americans, college boys... (Forest City Summit, IO)
Phelps'unusual diet: 12,000 calories a day Aug 21, 2008
Phelps has more SI covers than any other swimmer including Mark Spitz, who is second with three. The August 25, 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated will go on sale on Wednesday. (Xinhuanet, China)
Phelps finally earns what NBC already gave him Aug 21, 2008
It was a fantastic race performed under an intensely high-pressure situation, with the world wondering if he could actually equal the legendary Mark Spitz. It was Phelps' seventh of eight final performances at the Games, and though it wasn't a world record, it was as dramatic and triumphant as it could have been. (Lebanon Express, OR)
NOW PHELPS WILL REALLY STRIKE GOLD... Aug 20, 2008
Here is the iconic first photo of a bare-chested, medal-clad doing his best Mark Spitz impression - sporting an Olympic-sized grin as his eight golds dangle from his neck. The photo - taken inside an ancient temple in Beijing on Sunday night - will grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, which hits newsstands tomorrow. (The Drudge Report)
Michael Phelps Sponsorships Aug 20, 2008
Will he outshine Mark Spitz as a spokesman ... Though he won a record seven gold medals in 1972, Mark Spitz never matched the sponsor earnings predicted for him. (Suite101.com)
Advertisers hope Phelps' pitches turn to gold Aug 19, 2008
"And Tiger Woods sure passed, but Mark Spitz didn't. And there are plenty of people who they try to develop the whole persona around - and two years later, it's gone.". Phelps has won 14 gold medals, the most of any Olympian ever. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Phelps upstream endorsement struggle Aug 19, 2008
Visa capitalized quickly by releasing a "Go World" ad after Phelps captured his 10th Olympic gold medal overall, and Speedo has likely received more than a million dollars in publicity from its stunt to give Phelps $1 million if he tied Mark Spitz' 1972 mark of seven gold medals. According to Joyce Julius & Associates, only days into Phelps' record-setting run, his corporate backers such as Speedo and Nike had already received $9 million of exposure value during primetime NBC broadcasts (shots... (MSNBC -- Politics)
Can Phelps Make It Big Outside of the Pool? Aug 19, 2008
Pizza Hut is giving Michael Phelps and his teammates free pizza and pasta for a year for him beating Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympics ... "And Tiger Woods sure passed, but Mark Spitz didn't. And there are plenty of people who they try to develop the whole persona around and two years later it's gone.". (ABC News -- Wire)
Phelps finishes quest with eight gold medals Aug 19, 2008
He eclipsed Mark Spitz s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games, an iconic performance that was surpassed by a swimmer fitting of this generation: a 23-year-old from Baltimore who loves hip-hop music, texting with his buddies and wearing his cap backward. I don t even know what to feel right now, Phelps said. (Coos Bay-North Bend The World, OR)
Phelps' latest quest may be his toughest Aug 19, 2008
Today, it s Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz. Tomorrow, it s Chad Pennington and whoever else they stick in a Dolphins uniform. (The Palm Beach Post)
Phelps, Spitz, the Pats, and 'the Fish' Aug 19, 2008
However, I was most touched by the segment on NBC in which Bob Costas hosted a conversation between Phelps and 1972 Olympic swimming sensation Mark Spitz. I was moved by the gracious manner in which Spitz congratulated Phelps on his truly epic feat, going so far as to say that he was honored to be an inspiration to him. (Boston Globe -- Editorial)
Soprano family values Aug 19, 2008
Sports Illustrated is set to unveil its exclusive photo of Michael Phelps - not unlike an iconic shot of Mark Spitz. Barack Obama is this close to picking his running mate. (Yahoo News -- The Sopranos)
Will Phelps (the brand) endure? Aug 19, 2008
Pizza Hut is giving the swimmer and his teammates free pizza and pasta for a year because Phelps bested Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympics ... "Tiger Woods sure passed, but Mark Spitz didn't. There are plenty of people who they try to develop the whole persona around, and two years later, it's gone."Phelps won 14 gold medals, the most of any Olympian ... Mark Spitz earned a living from his wins but didn't quite make it on Madison Avenue, Sweeney said. (News & Observer)
Phelps' audacious dream completed Aug 18, 2008
Eight medals, one more than Mark Spitz won in Munich in 1972 ... The world was not fast when Mark Spitz did his seven ... Not the second Mark Spitz. (MSNBC -- Sports)
Michael Phelps perches with Empty Nesters Aug 18, 2008
The victory marked the most gold medals ever claimed by one athlete at a single Olympics, summer or winter, surpassing the previous record of seven golds won by swimmer Mark Spitz in 1972. It was the culmination of an especially dramatic day of Olympic competition, which also saw Phelps' U.S. teammate Dara Torres, 41, lose the women's 50-meter freestyle by a 1/100th of a second to 24-year-old Britta Steffen of Germany. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Phelps winningest Olympian ever Aug 18, 2008
That victory, one more than Mark Spitz managed at the 1972 Munich Games, assured him a place in sports history and a legacy of, well, does he even need one. Wait, there's more. (Syracuse.com)
Perfection still an opinion Aug 18, 2008
US swimmer Michael Phelps's assault on the 1972 medal haul of Mark Spitz has dominated the Beijing Games, raising the question how celebrated athletes feel when their records go. "I'll never be 'the only' again," said Retton, expressing ambivalence at the emotion of Liukin joining her. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
GLOBAL GOLDEN GUY Aug 18, 2008
The win propels Phelps past American swimmer Mark Spitz, who won a then-Olympic record seven golds in Munich in 1972. And it sets him squarely among the greatest Olympians ever. (New York Post -- Opinions)
The gold standard Aug 18, 2008
It took the governing body of swimming -- FINA -- to slow the frames to 1/10,000th of a second to be sure he had won his seventh gold to tie Mark Spitz. Trying to separate Phelps and Milorad Cavic of Serbia was like trying to figure out which atoms were quicker in a water molecule. (Albany Times Union)
Phelps likely to alter future format Aug 18, 2008
" But deep down, Phelps was soaking it all in - the glory and the minutiae. He had all the medals hanging in his room. By the end of the games, Hansen quipped, they resembled a wind chime. Spitz's record had stood since the Richard Nixon administration. Australian coach Alan Thompson figures it might take even longer for someone to take down the new mark. "We've been talking about Mark Spitz for 36 years now," Thompson said. "I don't know if I'm going to be alive when they stop talking about... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Phelps the phenom Aug 18, 2008
Sure, competitive swimming has become faster since Mark Spitz won his seven golds in the 1972 Munich Games. High-tech suits repel water like duck feathers. (Christian Science Monitor)
Phelps cherishes medals, memories (Today) Aug 18, 2008
That victory, one more than Mark Spitz managed at the 1972 Munich Games, assured him a place in sports history. In his pursuit of Spitz, which began four years ago with six gold medals in Athens, Phelps became the winningest Olympian ever with 14 golds. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
Phelps Probably the Greatest Swimmer of All Time Aug 18, 2008
In winning these eight golds, Phelps beat the record of our fellow Indiana swimmer, Mark Spitz, who hitherto has been acclaimed the greatest swimmer of all time. In the 1972 Olympics Spitz won seven gold medals, all in world record times. (Human Events Online)
Epic eight golds for phenomenal Phelps Aug 18, 2008
He not only accomplished his goal of breaking the seven-gold mark of his countryman Mark Spitz in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, but also went well beyond that ... Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics swimming events on Sunday, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won at a single Games in 1972 ... "I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz," he said. (Xinhuanet, China)
Phelps Wins 8th Gold Medal, Breaks Tie With Spitz Aug 18, 2008
BEIJING -- Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal Sunday at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the victorious U.S. 400-meter medley relay team, breaking a tie with Mark Spitz for most golds in a single games. Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps and Jason Lezak won in a world-record of 3 minutes, 29. (Newsmax)
Superhuman performances light up Beijing Aug 18, 2008
On Sunday, Phelps broke into uncharted territory with a record eighth gold medal in one Olympics, bettering countryman Mark Spitz, who had held the record since the 1972 Munich Games. That accomplishment came just one day after Bolt astounded the world with his own mind-boggling performance in the 100 metres race, effortlessly finishing with a record-breaking time of 9. (SwissInfo.org, Switzerland)
Eighth wonder! Aug 17, 2008
Phelps tied Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal a day earlier in the 100m butterfly, winning by the slimmest of margins. 01 of a second over Milorad Cavic. (MSNBC -- Sports)
American claims record eight gold medals Aug 17, 2008
BEIJING Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the victorious U.S. 4x100-meter medley relay team, breaking a tie with Mark Spitz for most golds in a single games ... Dara Torres lost an improbable gold medal by one-hundredth of a second the same margin that kept Phelps on course to break Mark Spitz's record. (Auburn Citizen, NY)
Phelps wins record 8th gold Aug 17, 2008
14 Michael Phelps, U.S., swimming (2004-6; 2008-8)9 Larysa Latynina, Soviet Union, gymnastics (1956-4; 1960-3; 1964-2)9 Carl Lewis, U.S., track and field (1984-4; 1988-2; 1992-2; 1996-1)9 Paavo Nurmi, Finland, track and field (1920-3; 1924-4; 1928-2)9 Mark Spitz, U.S., swimming (1968-2; 1972-7) ... Phelps tied Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal a day earlier in the 100m butterfly, winning by the slimmest of margins ... Star breaks fellow American Mark Spitz's 36-year old... (MSNBC -- Race)
Phelps's place in history just a touch away Aug 17, 2008
SINCE Mark Spitz won seven swimming gold medals in Munich in 1972, the thought of someone equalling that feat had seemed as unlikely as a batsman finishing his career with the same mountainous batting average as Sir Donald Bradman. Now, after a victory so close it was not apparent to the naked eye, Michael Phelps can go one better. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
As good as gold: Phelps swims into record books Aug 17, 2008
The 8th gold medal lifted Phelps past Mark Spitz for most golds in one Olympics ... Phelps sure did his part to win No. 8, eclipsing Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- NBA)
Kevorkian to be released from prison in June Aug 17, 2008
Neal Rubin: The incredibly gracious Mark Spitz is on NBC this very second, talking with sportscaster Bob Costas and swimmer Michael Phelps. Spitz, whose record of seven gold. (Yahoo News -- Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia)
Ravens fans count Phelps among Baltimore's stars Aug 17, 2008
Pat Forde's breakdown: Phelps bettered Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medials, set at the 1972 Munich Games ... Phelps beat Milorad Cavic by a hundredth of a second to win the 100 fly and match Mark Spitz's record of seven golds in the same Games ... Race No. 8 -- 4x100 medley relay: The relay team of Aaron Peirsol (back), Brendan Hansen (breast), Phelps (fly) and Jason Lezak (free) won, helping Phelps pass Mark Spitz for an unprecedented eighth gold medal in the same Olympics. (ESPN -- Football News)
Gymnastics matters ... every four years Aug 17, 2008
Olga Korbut's grin and mind-numbing flexibility was an iconic moment of the 1972 Olympics (along with Mark Spitz' seven gold medals), Nadia Comaneci all of 14 earned the first perfect 10 from judges in Montreal (where the scoreboards didnt even go up that high), and Mary Lou Retton captured the hearts of millions in her home country in 1984 before gracing the side of a Wheaties Box. advertisement. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Olympic star Phelps captures seventh piece of gold Aug 17, 2008
BEIJING (AP) Michael Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish Saturday, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly. His arms soaring across the water one last time, Phelps got his hand on the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Serbia's Milorad Cavic. (Pekin Times, IL)
Phelps Ties Spitz's Olympic Gold Me... Aug 17, 2008
Michael Phelps tied Mark Spitz's seven gold medal record by beating a Croatian competitior by only one hundreth of a second. On Friday, Michael Phelps tied the Olympic record of Mark Spitz that had stood fast for 36 years. (Suite101.com)
Hometown bird's nest ready to swell with pride Aug 17, 2008
Mark Spitz won seven golds in a single Olympics, setting the record in 1972. TRIVIA TIME. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Sports)
Phelps greatest Olympian of all? Aug 17, 2008
The rush to judge Phelps the greatest Olympian ever, as no less an authority than Mark Spitz has done, is based on the soggy assumption that all medals carry comparable weight and that whoever amasses the most must be the best. How absurd. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Sports)
Olympic roundup: Phelp 6-for-6; Soni, Lochte win Aug 17, 2008
Get the check ready, Speedo. Michael Phelps is closing in quickly, of course. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Eight! Phelps Wins Record-setting Gold In Relay Aug 17, 2008
Phelps claimed his record eighth gold medal of the Beijing Olympics with a swim in the winning U.S. 400-meter medley relay on Sunday morning, breaking the tie he shared with Mark Spitz to become the winningest athlete in a single Olympics. It wasn't the widest of margins -- the U.S. broke its own world record to win by. (ABC 7 News, DC)
Sports in 2 Minutes Aug 17, 2008
He eclipsed Mark Spitz s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games ... BEIJING Dara Torres lost an improbable gold medal Sunday morning by one-hundredth of a second the same margin that kept Michael Phelps on course to break Mark Spitz s record. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Phelps wins in dramatic style Aug 17, 2008
Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish today, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly. He got his hands on the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Cavic a finish so close the Serbians filed a protest and swimming s governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second. (Coos Bay-North Bend The World, OR)
It’s eight! Phelps passes Spitz with another gold Aug 17, 2008
He eclipsed Mark Spitz s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games, an iconic performance that was surpassed by a swimmer fitting of this generation: a 23-year-old from Baltimore who loves hip-hop music, texting with his buddies and wearing his cap backward ... It took 36 years for someone to break the record of seven golds set by Mark Spitz in Munich and this record may be untouchable long after that. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Day 8: Phelps earns # 7, Gay falters Aug 17, 2008
"Epic," said Mark Spitz, whose record of seven golds has held up since the 1972 Munich Olympics. "It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time.". (KGW Northwest NewsChannel 8, OR -- Sports)
Phelps always finds a way Aug 17, 2008
On Saturday, Phelps earned a share of history by snaring his seventh gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, equaling the great Mark Spitz with one of the most dramatic finishes in sports history. He teased us with the prospect of losing and pulled out the finish by a hundredth of a second, edging Serbia's game Milorad Cavic 50. (CNN -- Money)
Olympics Are Still Special Aug 17, 2008
It's truly awe-inspiring to read of Phelps not only surpassing the legendary Mark Spitz to become the winningest swimmer in Olympic history, but doing so in such an impressive fashion, setting several world records. The American men's gymnastics team's bronze medal in the Beijing Games also demonstrates that the underdog can still be victorious. (Hartford Courant)
With 8th gold, Phelps swims into history … and now on to London Aug 17, 2008
Phelps won his 8th Gold Medal to set an Olympic record for most Gold Medal wins in one Olympics breaking Mark Spitz recordin the Games of the the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China ... He had eclipsed a storied record, Mark Spitz's seven golds of 1972 ... Phelps won his 8th Gold Medal to set an Olympic record for most Gold Medal wins in one Olympics breaking Mark Spitz recordin the Games of the the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
