Michael Phelps Wins Gold in Dramatic Fashion, Ties Mark Spitz's Record

I am a sports fanatic and I recently have become enthralled with the Beijing Olympics.

Whether it’s been the success of the “Redeem Team” led by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, or the performances of Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson in the all-around gymnastics competition, these Olympic Games have quenched my desire for excitement that I feel as a die-hard sports fan.

However, the swimming competitions and the story of Michael Phelps have intrigued me the most. Along with everyone else in the world, I have taken an avid interest in Michael Phelps’ quest for history. Last night, I sat down to watch Phelps compete for his record-tying seventh gold medal in the XXIX Olympiad.

Ever since the beginning of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Phelps has oft been compared to legendary U.S. gold medalist Mark Spitz. Comparisons between the two have ranged from both athletes' dominance in the pool to Phelps' attempt to break Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games.

At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Mark Spitz absolutely dominated for the U.S. swim team, winning seven gold medals and setting the world record in each of the events in which he competed. Paired with his other two gold medals won at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Spitz forever etched himself into Olympic lore with an all-time record of nine gold medals.

With his ninth gold medal, Spitz joined U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis, Finnish sprinter Paavo Nurmi, and Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina, as the only Olympians to ever accomplish this rare feat.

After a stellar performance in the 2004 Olympic Games that included six gold and two bronze medals, Phelps was well on his way to breaking the all-time record for Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

However, despite breaking the all-time gold medal record (Phelps currently has 13 gold medals overall) and destroying world records in each event he has competed in so far this week, the whole world watched yesterday to see if Michael Phelps could make history. Would Phelps tie Spitz’s Olympic record of seven gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly?

Unfortunately for Phelps, he was chasing history in arguably his weakest event at the pool, the 100M butterfly (Every Superman has his kryptonite), despite taking first at the 2007 World Championship. Many experts and critics alike predicted that Phelps’ teammate Ian Crocker, the world record-holder in the 100m butterfly, could win the race and derail Phelps’ attempt to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics.

Well, sure enough, when race time finally rolled around, the whole world watched with bated breath to see if Michael Phelps would be able to overcome the pressure, live up to the hype, and win his seventh gold medal of the Beijing Olympics.

As the swimmers took their places by the pool, complete silence ensued. I could feel the tension and the power of the moment as I watched from the comfort of my home. I, along with the rest of the world, anxiously waited for the race to begin.

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