Michael Phelps — The Greatest Olympian of All-Time
Skill Development Expert Profile — Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. It’s not even close. Phelps has 28 medals, 23 of them gold. The next athlete on the list, gymnast Larissa Latynina has 18 medals, including nine gold.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics alone, Phelps won eight gold medals. In the 2004 games in Athens, he won six gold and two bronze medals. In the 2012 Olympics in London, he won four gold and two silver, and at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won five gold and one silver. This makes him the most successful athlete in four Olympics in a row.
Starting out
Michael began swimming with his sisters when he was seven. As he was a little scared to put his head underwater, he started with the backstroke. From a modest start, he quickly got the hang of things and improved fast.
He was only 15 years old when he entered his first Olympics and achieved a respectable fifth place in the 200-meter butterfly. At 15 years and nine months, he became the youngest male swimmer to break a world-record, also on the 200-meter butterfly. Throughout his career, he set 39 world-records, more than any other swimmer.
