Mark Spitz: Swimming
Mark Andrew Spitz (born: February 10, 1950) is a retired American competition swimmer. He made his splash when he won seven gold medals in the 1972 Munich Olympics, which has only been surpassed by Michael Phelps. Spitz set new world records in all seven events in which he competed in 1972, a record that still stands until this day. When he was only 10, he held 17 national age group records and one world record. He retired when he was only 22 years old and pursued acting.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Mark Spitz won 9 gold medals, 1 for each silver and bronze medal for the Olympic events he partook in. He won 5 gold medals for the Pan American Games and 10 gold medals for Maccabiah Games. Spitz was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1977, International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and US Olympics Hall of Fame in 1983.
Why Was He So Good?
Only Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz are considered the dominators on the swimming scene. Spitz was quick, strong and just certainly athletic. He was made for the water even though his illness came from water chlorine. Let’s not forget about his signature mustache. He believed that what made him great was because he was a great racer and not because he was a great swimmer.
What You May Not Know
- In his show business career, Spitz landed several endorsement contracts which earned him about $7 million in a two-year period.
- Mark Spitz also became a motivational speaker and stockbroker in LA, California.
- He appeared in infomercial “Orbitek Elite” fitness workout.
- Spitz made a comeback attempt when he was 41, with swim-offs against sprint stars Tom Jager and Matt Biondi.
Related Pages
- More Swimmer Profiles
- About Swimming
- Athlete Database home
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