Mark Spitz facts for kids
Spitz in 2012
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| Nickname(s) | "Mark the Shark" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 10, 1950 Modesto, California, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 161 lb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Butterfly, freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Arden Hills Swim Club Santa Clara Swim Club |
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| College team | Indiana University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | George Haines (Santa Clara) Sherm Chavoor (Arden Hills) Doc Counsilman (Indiana) |
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Medal record
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Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950) is a famous American swimmer. He won nine Olympic gold medals during his career. He was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. There, he won seven gold medals, each setting a new world record!
This amazing achievement was a record for 36 years. Another American swimmer, Michael Phelps, broke it in 2008. Phelps won eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Between 1968 and 1972, Mark Spitz won nine Olympic golds, one silver, and one bronze medal. He also won five Pan American golds. He set 35 world records during these years. Swimming World Magazine named him the World Swimmer of the Year three times.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Mark Spitz was born in Modesto, California, on February 10, 1950. He was the oldest of three children. When he was two, his family moved to Hawaii. He swam at Waikiki beach every day. His mother said he would "dash into the ocean" like he was trying to fly.
When Mark was six, his family moved back to Sacramento, California. He started swimming for a local club. At age nine, he trained with coach Sherm Chavoor. This coach also helped six other Olympic medal winners. By age 10, Mark held one world record for his age group. He also held 17 national records.
When Mark was 14, his family moved to Santa Clara. He joined the Santa Clara Swim Club. There, he trained with coach George F. Haines. From 1964 to 1968, Mark trained hard. He set national high school records in every swimming style and distance. In 1966, at 16, he won his first national championship. This was the first of his 24 national titles. The next year, he set his first world record in the 400-meter freestyle.
Swimming Career Highlights
Maccabiah Games Achievements
Mark Spitz first competed internationally at the 1965 Maccabiah Games in Israel. He was 15 years old and won four gold medals. He won the 400 m freestyle, 1500 m freestyle, 400 m individual medley, and 800 m freestyle relay. He was named the best athlete of the Games.
He returned to Israel in 1969 after the Mexico Olympics. He competed again at the 1969 Maccabiah Games. He won six more gold medals there. Again, he was named the outstanding athlete. In 1985, Spitz lit the torch to start the 1985 Maccabiah Games. In 2005, he was part of the U.S. team at the 2005 Maccabiah Games.
Pan American Games Success
Mark won five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games. This was a record that lasted until 2007. That year, a Brazilian swimmer won six golds.
1968 Mexico City Olympics
 Spitz c. 1968 |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1968 Mexico City | ||
| Representing the USA | ||
| Gold | 4×100 m freestyle relay | 3:31.7 |
| Gold | 4×200 m freestyle relay | 7:52.3 |
| Silver | 100 m butterfly | 56.40 |
| Bronze | 100 m freestyle | 53.00 |
Mark Spitz held ten world records before the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He thought he would win six gold medals. But he only won two team golds. These were in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. He also won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly. He got a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle. He was a bit disappointed with his results.
College Training and Nickname
After the 1968 Olympics, Mark was not happy with his performance. In 1969, he decided to go to Indiana University. He trained with coach Doc Counsilman, who was also his Olympic coach. Mark said choosing Indiana was "the biggest decision of my life" and "the best."
While at Indiana, Mark won eight college titles. In 1971, he won the James E. Sullivan Award. This award goes to the top amateur athlete in the U.S. His teammates gave him the nickname "Mark the Shark."
1972 Munich Olympics
 Spitz at the 1972 Olympics |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1972 Munich | ||
| Representing the USA | ||
| Gold | 200 m butterfly | 2:00.70 (WR) |
| Gold | 4×100 m freestyle relay | 3:26.42 (WR) |
| Gold | 200 m freestyle | 1:52.78 (WR) |
| Gold | 100 m butterfly | 54.27 (WR) |
| Gold | 4×200 m freestyle relay | 7:35.78 (WR) |
| Gold | 100 m freestyle | 51.22 (WR) |
| Gold | 4×100 m medley relay | 3:48.16 (WR) |
At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Mark Spitz was ready to try for six gold medals again. He did even better, winning seven Olympic gold medals! He set a new world record in each of the seven events. These included the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, and 100-meter butterfly. He also set records in three relay races.
Before the 100-meter freestyle race, Mark was worried. He told a reporter, "If I swim six and win six, I'll be a hero. If I swim seven and win six, I'll be a failure." But he won the race by half a stroke, setting another world record.
Mark Spitz is one of only a few Olympians to win nine or more career gold medals. His record of seven gold medals in one Olympics was not broken until Michael Phelps did it in 2008. After his events, Mark left Munich early. This was because of a terrible event called the Munich Massacre. Eleven Israeli athletes were taken hostage and killed. Since Mark was Jewish, officials were worried about his safety. He was taken to London for protection.
Retirement from Swimming
After the Munich Olympics, Mark Spitz retired from swimming. He was only 22 years old.
In 1992, when he was 41, Mark tried to make a comeback for the 1992 Summer Olympics. A filmmaker offered him a lot of money if he could qualify. Mark trained hard, but he was a bit too slow to make the team.
In 1999, ESPN ranked him No. 33 on their list of "50 Greatest Athletes." He was the only swimmer on the list.
Hall of Fame Honors
Mark Spitz has been honored in many sports halls of fame:
- International Swimming Hall of Fame, inducted 1977.
- International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, inducted 1979.
- United States Olympic Hall of Fame, inducted 1983.
- Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, inducted 1990.
- San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, inducted 2007.
- National Jewish Museum Sports Hall of Fame, inducted 2007.
- Long Beach City College Hall of Fame, inducted 2007.
- Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Life After Swimming
Film and Television Appearances
After retiring from swimming, Mark Spitz tried acting and broadcasting. He appeared on TV shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He also worked for ABC Sports, covering the Olympics in 1976 and 1984. He continued to be a sports commentator for a while. Later, he focused on his real estate business.
Spitz also narrated Freedom's Fury, a 2006 documentary. It was about a famous water polo match during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. He also appeared in commercials for various products.
Personal Life and Education
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After the 1972 Olympics, Mark started dating Suzy Weiner. She was a college student and model. They got married in May 1973. They have two sons, Matthew and Justin. Justin was also a swimmer at Stanford University. Mark and Suzy live in Los Angeles, California.
Mark studied to become a dentist at Indiana University. He graduated in 1972. After the Olympics, he had many opportunities. He decided to pursue television and speaking instead of dentistry.
Career After Swimming
After the 1972 Olympics, Mark Spitz earned a lot of money from endorsements. He was a pioneer in athletes making money from their fame. He later started a real estate company.
Today, Mark Spitz works as a corporate spokesperson and motivational speaker. He travels around the world, giving about 25 speeches each year. His biography, The Extraordinary Life of An Olympic Champion, was released in 2008.
His Famous Moustache
Mark Spitz was known for his moustache during the Olympics. This was unusual because most swimmers shaved all their body hair. He grew it because a college coach said he couldn't. He thought it was a "good-luck piece."
He joked with a Russian coach that his moustache helped him swim faster. He said it "deflects water away from my mouth" and made him "bullet-shaped." He shaved it off in 1988. He said it was because he wasn't swimming anymore and it started to turn gray. His wife and family had never seen him without it!
Images for kids
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Olympic rings
See also
In Spanish: Mark Spitz para niños
- List of Indiana University (Bloomington) people
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
- List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
- List of select Jewish swimmers
- List of top Olympic gold medalists in swimming
- World record progression 100 metres butterfly
- World record progression 100 metres freestyle
- World record progression 200 metres butterfly
- World record progression 200 metres freestyle
- World record progression 400 metres freestyle
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
- World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay
