59 Fun Facts About Michael Phelps

How many Olympic medals did Michael Phelps win in total?

He won them across four Games, from Athens 2004 to Rio 2016; he left Sydney 2000 empty-handed.

How many of Phelps's Olympic medals were gold?

Thirteen of them came in individual events, also an all-time record.

How many gold medals did Phelps win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

It beat a single-Games record that had stood since 1972.

In which city was Phelps born?

He grew up in the Rodgers Forge neighbourhood of nearby Towson, and a street in the city was renamed The Michael Phelps Way in 2004.

In which year was Phelps born?

He is the youngest of three children; his mother was a middle-school principal and his father a state trooper.

Which coach trained Phelps from the age of 11 through his entire career?

Phelps said the man reminded him of a drill sergeant, and vowed never to swim for anyone else.

Phelps was diagnosed with which condition when he was in the sixth grade?

He was bullied over it and his protruding ears, and later said the frustration fuelled his swimming.

At what age did Phelps start swimming?

He has said the only reason he got in the water was that his mother wanted him to learn to swim.

How old was Phelps when he made the U.S. team for the Sydney 2000 Olympics?

He was the youngest male on a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years.

Where did Phelps finish in his only final at Sydney 2000?

Sixteen years later he became the first swimmer to reach five Olympic finals in the same event.

In March 2001 Phelps became the youngest male ever to set a swimming world record, at what age?

He took the 200-metre butterfly mark, beating a record for precocity previously held by an Australian.

Phelps won his first world title in 2001 in which Japanese city?

He lowered his own world record in the final.

In which event did Phelps win his first Olympic gold medal, at Athens in 2004?

He did it in a world-record 4:08.26, then went on to six golds and two bronzes at those Games.

At Athens 2004 Phelps tied the record of eight medals at one Games, held by which Soviet gymnast?

The gymnast had done it at Moscow 1980.

Where did Phelps finish in the 200-metre freestyle 'Race of the Century' at Athens 2004?

He said he could not be disappointed after racing the two fastest freestylers of all time.

At Athens, Phelps gave up his medley relay final spot so which teammate could swim for gold?

Phelps had beaten him by 0.04 seconds in the 100 fly a day earlier and still got a gold for swimming the heats.

How many gold medals did Phelps win at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne?

A false start in the medley relay heats got the U.S. disqualified and cost him a shot at an eighth.

Which American swimmer's record of seven golds at a single Olympics did Phelps break in Beijing?

The record had stood since Munich 1972.

Which US swimmer anchored the Beijing 4x100 freestyle relay, running down Alain Bernard by 0.08 seconds?

Bernard had talked of 'smashing the Americans', which Phelps said fired him up more than anything.

What went wrong for Phelps during his 200-metre butterfly gold in Beijing?

He said he could not see anything for the last 100 metres and still set a world record.

The Beijing 4x200 freestyle relay that Phelps led off was the first team to break which barrier?

They beat the old record by more than four and a half seconds.

Which Serbian swimmer did Phelps beat by a hundredth of a second in the Beijing 100-metre butterfly?

He had said it would be 'good' if Phelps lost the eighth gold to 'some guy'; Serbia protested and FINA studied frames shot 1/10,000th of a second apart.

In how many of his eight Beijing events did Phelps set a world record?

The 100 fly was 'only' an Olympic record, leaving a teammate's world mark intact.

Which South Korean took silver behind Phelps's world-record 200-metre freestyle in Beijing?

That win put Phelps among only five modern Olympians with nine career golds.

Which anti-doping programme did Phelps cite when asked in Beijing if his feats were 'too good to be true'?

He passed all nine tests administered to him during the Games.

Which German swimmer in a polyurethane suit ended Phelps's unbeaten run in the 200 free at the 2009 Worlds?

Phelps's coach threatened to pull him from international meets until the suits were banned.

At the 2009 Worlds Phelps became the first man to swim the 100-metre butterfly under what time?

He went 49.82 and beat his Beijing rival by 0.13 seconds.

Which sponsor dropped Phelps after a photo of him using a bong went viral in 2009?

USA Swimming also suspended him for three months; he apologised for 'inappropriate' behaviour.

Where did Phelps finish in his first final at London 2012, his first non-medal since 2000?

He had qualified last for the final and was beaten by Ryan Lochte, Thiago Pereira and Kosuke Hagino.

Which South African beat Phelps by five hundredths of a second in the 200-metre butterfly at London 2012?

He had named Phelps as his sporting hero before the Games.

Which Soviet gymnast's all-time record for most Olympic medals did Phelps pass in London?

She was in the stands and asked to present his medal, but Olympic rules would not allow it.

In which month and year did Phelps announce his comeback after retiring in 2012?

He said this time he was swimming for himself rather than for history or medals.

Why was Phelps left off the U.S. team for the 2015 World Championships?

USA Swimming suspended him for six months; without him the U.S. missed the 4x100 free relay final.

Rio 2016 was Phelps's fifth Olympics; which woman was the only U.S. swimmer to get there before him?

He was the first American male swimmer to qualify for five Games.

What honour did Phelps receive at the Rio 2016 opening ceremony?

It was the first Olympic opening ceremony he had ever attended.

Which French swimmer, overtaken by Phelps in the Rio 4x100 free relay, called him 'the extraterrestrial'?

Phelps's coach called his turn on that leg maybe the best that has ever been done.

The Rio ready-room meme of Phelps glowering at a shadow-boxing rival spread under which hashtag?

Their relationship had soured after Phelps came out of retirement and suggested current butterfly times were slow.

How old was Phelps when his Rio 200 fly win made him the oldest individual Olympic swimming champion?

The record lasted three days before Anthony Ervin broke it.

By winning the 200 IM a fourth straight time in Rio, Phelps joined which two track-and-field greats?

Dawn Fraser and Krisztina Egerszegi had held the swimming record with three.

Phelps's 13th individual gold broke a 2,000-year-old record for individual Olympic titles held by which Greek?

The runner had won twelve titles across four ancient Games.

Who beat Phelps in his final individual race, the Rio 100-metre butterfly?

Phelps shared silver in a three-way tie, a Guinness record for most silvers awarded in one swimming race.

Phelps's last race, the Rio medley relay, gave the US which milestone Summer Olympics gold medal?

He swam the butterfly leg alongside Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller and Nathan Adrian.

When he retired for good in August 2016, Phelps had won more Olympic medals than how many countries?

He announced it on August 12, the day before the closing ceremony.

Which Laureus award did Phelps win in 2017?

He had been nominated for Sportsman of the Year five times without winning.

Phelps's wife Nicole Johnson previously held which title?

They married in secret on June 13, 2016, and it was not reported for four months; they have four sons.

At the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links, Phelps set a record for the longest televised putt, from how far?

He is a keen golfer and considered turning professional after swimming.

Phelps founded the Michael Phelps Foundation with a $1 million bonus from which sponsor?

Its 'im' programme teaches water safety and goal-setting through Boys & Girls Clubs and Special Olympics.

A famous myth claimed Phelps ate roughly how many calories a day in training?

Phelps himself has said the figure was exaggerated, even in his growing years.

How many world records did Phelps set in his career, more than any other swimmer recognised by FINA?

Twenty-nine were individual and ten in relays, beating the previous best of 33.

Phelps became a minority shareholder in which English club owned by 49ers Enterprises?

He joined the Leeds ownership group alongside other US sports figures; he has also cited Michael Jordan as a sporting idol.

Which Ravens linebacker did Phelps credit with helping him find purpose and decide to compete in Rio?

Phelps is a lifelong fan of the team.

In 2011 Phelps lent his name to a swimming video game for which motion-sensing system?

'Push the Limit' got lukewarm reviews.

After the 2004 Olympics Phelps followed his coach to train at which college?

He attended classes there for four years but never pursued a degree.

Which Australian idol's doubt about eight golds did Phelps tape to his locker in Beijing?

After the eighth gold the Australian said he had never been so happy to be proved wrong.

In which Towson neighbourhood was Michael Phelps raised?

The youngest of three children, he was born in Baltimore to a middle-school principal mother.

For which university did Phelps's coach Bob Bowman swim from 1983 to 1985?

Phelps has said the disciplined coach reminded him of a drill sergeant.

At which 2002 meet in Yokohama did Phelps win three golds and two silvers?

He won the 400 IM ahead of Erik Vendt in 4:12.48 in his first event.

By winning the 200 IM at London 2012, Phelps became the first male swimmer to do what?

He edged Lochte in 1:54.27 for his 16th Olympic gold.

How long did USA Swimming suspend Phelps after his second DUI arrest in September 2014?

The ban also kept him off the team for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.