US swimmer Michael Phelps holds his gold medal on the podium of the men’s 200m butterfly final during the swimming event at the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 31, 2012 in London. AFP/CHRISTOPHE SIMON
LONDON—Factfile on Michael Phelps who became the most decorated athlete in Olympic history on Tuesday with 19 medals, surpassing the 18 won by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina from 1956-1964:
Name: Michael Phelps
Date of birth: June 30, 1985
Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland
Nationality: USA
Lives: Baltimore, Maryland
Height: 1.93m
Weight: 83.9kg
Sport: Swimming
Olympic medals:
2004: Gold: 100m/200m butterfly, 200m/400m individual medley, 4x200m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay
Bronze: 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay
2008: Gold: 200m freestyle, 100m/100m butterfly, 200m/400m individual medley, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay
2012: Gold: 4x200m freestyle relay
Silver: 4x100m freestyle relay, 200mfly
World Championships medals: 33 (26 gold, 6 silver, 1 bronze)
Career highlights:
- First US male swimmer to qualify for fourth Olympic team, 2012
- Won historic eight gold medals at 2008 Beijing Olympics, setting seven world records
- Set four individual world records and won seven gold medals at 2007 world championships
- At 2004 Athens Olympics, his eight medals included six gold as he matched Soviet gymnast
- Alexandr Dityatin (1980) for most medals at a single Games
- Only man to win five US national titles at a single championships
- Only man to win a US national title in three different strokes at one championship
- Youngest man (15 years, 9 months) to break a world record — 200m butterfly in March of 2001
- Qualified for first Olympic team in 2000 at age 15, youngest male Olympian since 1932