Mark Spitz

Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950) is an American former competitive swimmer and nine-time Olympic champion. He gained global recognition for his success at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where he won seven gold medals, each in world-record time. Spitz's achievement of winning seven gold medals in a single Olympics stood as a record for 36 years until it was surpassed by Michael Phelps in 2008. Throughout his career, Spitz won a total of nine Olympic gold medals, as well as numerous other international titles. He was named World Swimmer of the Year multiple times and set a total of 35 world records, making him one of the most accomplished swimmers in history.