Special Sub-Topic: Michael Phelps vs. Mark Spitz Click Here To Play: Michael Phelps vs. Mark Spitz

At what Olympics did Mark Spitz have his record seven gold medal performance?

1972 Munich. Spitz set the mark at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, winning 4 individual medals and 3 relay medals. He, or his team, set world records in each event.

At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Michael entered just one event. Which one was it?

200m butterfly. In his one event at the 2000 Games, Phelps placed fifth in the 200 meter butterfly, an event he would later win at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

In 2004, Phelps went to Athens hoping to win 8 gold medals. He would go on to win 6 gold medals and 2 bronze medals in those Olympic games. His total of 8 medals was an achievement achieved only once in the past by Alexander Ditayin, a gymnast representing which country?

Russia. At the 1980 Moscow Games, Ditayin won 8 medals including the men's all around gold medal and 2 other golds.

In winning his 6 gold medals at the 2004 Olympics, the U.S. team broke the world record in the 4 x 100 meter medley relay. Phelps also broke one world record in which individual event?

400 meter individual medley. Though not world records, Phelps broke olympic records in the 200m individual medley and both the 100m and 200m individual medleys and the American record in the 200 meter freestyle. THe USA also broke the record in the 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay.

Phelps went to the 2008 games in Beijing looking to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals. However, the quest almost ended early in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay. Which swimmer swam the anchor leg and made up a near full body length lead?

Jason Lezak. Lezak caught France's Alain Bernard on the final leg of the relay. The USA also set a world record in this event, as the teams that finished first through fifth all broke the previous world record.

In his third gold medal race, the 200 meter freestyle, Phelps surpassed Paavo Nurmi, Larissa Latynina, Mark Spitz and what other American with 9 gold medals?

Carl Lewis & Lewis. Lewis was a track and field star for the United States who accumulated his medals between the 1984 Los Angeles games and the 1996 Atlanta games. Lewis was best known for the Long Jump, which he won at four consecutive Olympic games.

On the fifth day of competitions, Phelps competed in two gold medal races. In his first race, Phelps won the 200m butterfly, despite what?

Goggles filled with water. Phelps later admitted that he couldn't see anything for the final 100m.

Phelps' victory in the 100m butterfly tied the record for most individual gold medals in a single olympics, originally set by which American?

Eric Heiden & Heiden. Heiden, a speed skater, set the initial record at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY.

Phelps (or his team) broke the world record in all but one of his gold medal races in 2008. In which event did Phelps (or his team) not break the world record?

100m butterfly. Though he didn't break fellow American Ian Crocker's world record, Phelps did set the olympic record as he beat Serbia's Milorad Cavic by 1/100th of a second.

After winning his eight gold medals, Phelps received a $1 million reward from which sponsor?

Speedo. Phelps decided to donate the $1 million to the newly created Michael Phelps Foundation to promote water safety and youth swimming.