Michael Phelps Wins 8 Gold Medals

Here is Michael Phelps with the U.S. 4×100 medley relay swim team winning his 8th gold medal in Beijing while setting a world record in the process.Congratulations to the greatest Olympian in the history of the world, Michael Phelps.The 8th gold medal beats Mark Spitz previous record of seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics. In addition to the most medals in any one Olympics, Phelps has more golds than any athlete in history. He won six golds in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

The world record time in the 4×100 medley relay was 3:29.34. For his impossible feat, Michael Phelps receives a $1 million bonus from Speedo, one of his sponsors.Perhaps he also receives the envy of teammates. Swimming is an intensely competitive sport, and all the members of the U.S. swim team spend their careers trying to beat each other in national events. One once every four years do they come together to do something for the team.

In watching Phelps celebrate with teammates, I do not sense a lot of love lost between them. Phelps is in a class by himself, and he seems to know it and show it. I do not see the kinds of team spirit and goodwill displayed by, say, the women’s gymnastics team.So congratulations to the entire U.S. men’s 4×100 medley swim team for winning the gold medal and setting a new world record, which they clearly would have won and done without Michael Phelps. The U.S. team is that good. But congratulations to Michael Phelps for his amazing feat of 8 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics.