Michael Phelps facts for kids
![]() Phelps at the 2016 Summer Olympics
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nickname(s) | "The Baltimore Bullet" "Flying Fish" |
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Born | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
June 30, 1985 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 194 lb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse(s) |
Nicole Johnson
(m. 2016) |
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Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Butterfly, individual medley, freestyle, backstroke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | North Baltimore Aquatic Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coach | Bob Bowman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is known as the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time. He has won a total of 28 Olympic medals. Phelps also holds the records for the most Olympic gold medals (23), the most individual Olympic gold medals (13), and the most individual Olympic medals (16).
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Phelps won eight medals, including six gold. Four years later, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he won an amazing eight gold medals. This broke the record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics, previously held by fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz since 1972. Phelps continued his success at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, winning four gold and two silver medals. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he added five more gold medals and one silver. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.
Phelps has held many world records in swimming. He has won 65 gold medals in major international competitions, including the Olympics and World Championships. His amazing performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award eight times. He also received the Sportsman of the Year award from Sports Illustrated magazine in 2008.
After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation. This foundation helps grow the sport of swimming and encourages healthy lifestyles. Phelps briefly retired after the 2012 Olympics but returned to swimming in 2014. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, his fifth Olympics, he was chosen to be the flag bearer for the United States. He announced his second retirement on August 12, 2016. He is widely considered the greatest swimmer and one of the greatest athletes ever.
Contents
- Early Life and Swimming Start
- Phelps's Swimming Journey
- Michael Phelps's World Records
- Personal Life
- Helping Others: Philanthropy
- Honors and Awards
- Images for kids
Early Life and Swimming Start
Michael Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in a neighborhood called Rodgers Forge. He is the youngest of three children. His mother was a middle school principal. His parents divorced when he was nine years old.
Phelps started swimming at age seven. He was influenced by his older sisters. Swimming also helped him use up his extra energy. He later said his mom just wanted him to learn to swim. But he and his sisters fell in love with the sport.
When Phelps was in sixth grade, he was diagnosed with ADHD. By age 10, he already held a national record for his age group. He trained at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club with coach Bob Bowman. Phelps still holds many age group records today.
Phelps's Swimming Journey
Training with Coach Bob Bowman
Phelps has trained with Bob Bowman since he was 11 years old. Bowman was a very disciplined coach. Phelps often said that training with Bowman was the smartest thing he ever did. He also said he would not swim for anyone else.
After the 2004 Olympics, Bowman became a head coach at the University of Michigan. Phelps joined him there to train. He also took classes but did not get a degree. Phelps even volunteered as an assistant coach at Michigan. Later, both Phelps and Bowman returned to Baltimore. When Bowman moved to Arizona State University in 2015, Phelps followed him to continue training.
First Olympics: Sydney 2000
Phelps improved very quickly in swimming. He qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics when he was just 15 years old. This made him the youngest male swimmer to join a U.S. Olympic team in 68 years. He did not win a medal in Sydney. However, he made it to the finals and finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly.
Becoming a World Champion: 2001-2003
At the 2001 World Championship Trials, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter butterfly. He was only 15 years and 9 months old. This made him the youngest male ever to set a swimming world record. At the World Championships in Japan, he broke his own record again. He became a world champion for the first time.
In 2002, at the Pan Pacific Championships, Phelps won three gold medals and two silver. He set a new American record in the 200-meter individual medley. He also broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley. The U.S. 4×100-meter medley relay team, with Phelps, set a new world record.
At the 2003 World Championships, Phelps won four gold medals and two silver. He also broke five world records. He became the first man to swim the 200-meter butterfly in under 1 minute, 54 seconds. He also set new world records in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley events. In the 100-meter butterfly, he set a world record in the semi-finals. But in the final, Ian Crocker broke that record, and Phelps won silver.
Athens 2004: Olympic Gold
At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, Phelps qualified for six individual events. He broke his own world record in the 400-meter individual medley. He decided not to swim the 200-meter backstroke to focus on other races. He was also chosen for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team.
In Athens, Phelps won his first Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley. He set a new world record. He then won a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In the 200-meter freestyle, he finished third behind Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband. Phelps won gold in the 200-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record. He also helped the U.S. win gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
Phelps won gold in the 200-meter individual medley, setting another Olympic record. In the 100-meter butterfly, he narrowly beat Ian Crocker by 0.04 seconds. He chose not to swim in the 4×100-meter medley relay final. This allowed Crocker to swim and earn a gold medal. Phelps still received a gold medal because he swam in the preliminary heat. He finished the 2004 Olympics with six gold and two bronze medals. This was the second-best performance ever at a single Olympics.
World Championships 2005-2007
At the 2005 World Championships, Phelps tried some new events. He won five gold medals and one silver. He set a new American record in the 200-meter freestyle. He also helped the U.S. win gold in several relays. In the 100-meter butterfly, he won silver, finishing behind Ian Crocker.
In 2006, at the Pan Pacific Championships, Phelps won five gold medals and one silver. He broke world records in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley. He also helped the U.S. set a world record in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won seven gold medals. He tied Mark Spitz's record for most golds at a global championship. He also broke five world records. He set new world records in the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, and 400-meter individual medley. He also helped the U.S. set a world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
Beijing 2008: Making History
At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, Phelps qualified for six individual events. He broke his own world records in the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter individual medley.
In Beijing, Phelps started by winning gold in the 400-meter individual medley. He broke his own world record by almost two seconds. He then won his second gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. The U.S. team set a new world record. His teammate Jason Lezak made an incredible comeback to win the race.

Phelps won his third gold in the 200-meter freestyle, breaking his own world record. He became the fifth Olympian to win nine gold medals. The next day, he won his fourth gold in the 200-meter butterfly. He set a new world record despite his goggles filling with water. This was his tenth Olympic gold medal, making him the all-time leader. He also became the first swimmer to win three Olympic butterfly titles.
Less than an hour later, Phelps won his fifth gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. The American team broke the seven-minute mark for the first time. Two days later, he won his sixth gold in the 200-meter individual medley, setting another world record.
Seventh Gold Medal
Before the 100-meter butterfly final, Serbian swimmer Milorad Čavić said it would be "good" if Phelps lost. Phelps used these words as motivation. He won his seventh gold medal by just 0.01 seconds over Čavić. This tied Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Olympics. Phelps said, "Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible."
Breaking the All-Time Record
On August 17, Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay. This broke Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals from 1972. Phelps and his teammates set a new world record. Phelps swam the butterfly leg, helping the U.S. team come from behind to win. He said, "Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are."
World Championships 2009-2011
At the 2009 World Championships, Phelps won five gold medals and one silver. He broke his own world records in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly events. In the 200-meter freestyle, he lost to Germany's Paul Biedermann. This was his first loss in four years. Phelps and his coach were concerned about Biedermann's full-body swimsuit.
At the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships, Phelps won five gold medals. He won the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly races. He also helped the U.S. win three relay golds.
In 2011, at the World Aquatics Championships, Phelps won four gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. He won his first gold in the 200-meter butterfly. This made him the first swimmer to win five gold medals in one event at the World Championships. He also won gold in the 100-meter butterfly and two relays.
London 2012: Final Olympics (First Retirement)
Phelps initially said he would not swim eight events again for the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, at the U.S. Olympic Trials, he qualified for the same eight events as in Beijing. He later decided to drop the 200-meter freestyle. This was his fourth Olympic team, a record for American male swimmers.
In London, Phelps finished fourth in the 400-meter individual medley. This was the first time he did not win a medal in an Olympic event since 2000. The next day, he won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
On July 31, 2012, Phelps won a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly. He then won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. With these medals, he passed Larisa Latynina to become the all-time record holder for most Olympic medals won.
On August 2, Phelps won his 16th Olympic gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley. He became the first male swimmer to win the same event in three straight Olympics. He repeated this amazing feat the next day, winning gold in the 100-meter butterfly.
Phelps's final event was the 4×100-meter medley relay. He won his 18th career gold medal and his 22nd overall Olympic medal. He finished the 2012 Olympics as the most successful swimmer for the third Olympics in a row. After the 2012 Olympics, Phelps announced his retirement from swimming.
2014 Comeback and Rio 2016
In April 2014, Phelps announced he would return to swimming. He was motivated by the U.S. team's relay performance. He wanted to swim for himself and enjoy the sport. He changed his training and diet. By 2016, he felt physically stronger.
At the 2015 U.S. National Championships, Phelps won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley. He had the fastest times in the world for these events that year.
Rio de Janeiro 2016
At the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, Phelps qualified for his fifth Olympics. This made him the first American male swimmer to do so. He was chosen to be the flag bearer for the United States at the opening ceremony. He was also a team captain.
On August 7, he won his first gold medal of the 2016 Games in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. His powerful swim helped the U.S. team win.
On August 9, Phelps won gold in the 200-meter butterfly. He became the first swimmer to make five finals in the same event. Winning this title back was a main goal for his comeback. At 31, he became the oldest male Olympic champion in swimming history.

Also on August 9, Phelps won his 21st gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. This was his and Ryan Lochte's fourth straight gold in this event, an all-time record in swimming.
On August 11, Phelps won his 22nd gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley. This was his fourth straight gold in this event. He became the first swimmer to win the same individual event four times. He also broke an ancient Olympic record for most individual titles.
In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won a joint silver medal. He was defeated by Singaporean Joseph Schooling.
On August 13, Phelps ended his career with another gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay. This was his 23rd Olympic gold medal and 28th overall. Phelps retired from competitive swimming again after the Rio Olympics. His performance at 31 years old was very special, as it's past the typical peak for male swimmers.
Michael Phelps's World Records
Phelps has set 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay). This is more than any other swimmer recognized by FINA. He broke Mark Spitz's previous record of 33 world records.
Long Course (50-meter Pool) Records
Phelps has set many world records in the 50-meter pool. Here are some of his notable records:
- 200-meter butterfly: He first broke this record in 2001 and improved it several times. His fastest time was 1:51.51 in 2009.
- 400-meter individual medley: He broke this record multiple times, starting in 2002. His best time was 4:03.84 in 2008.
- 200-meter individual medley: He set this record in 2003 and improved it several times. His best was 1:54.23 in 2008.
- 100-meter butterfly: He broke this record in 2003 and again in 2009 with a time of 49.82 seconds.
- 200-meter freestyle: He set a world record of 1:42.96 in 2008.
- Relays: He was part of teams that set world records in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay (3:08.24 in 2008), 4x200-meter freestyle relay (6:58.55 in 2009), and 4x100-meter medley relay (3:27.28 in 2009).
Guinness World Records
Michael Phelps holds 20 Guinness World Records. Most of these are for having the "most" of something, like:
- Most Olympic gold medals (23)
- Most medals won at the FINA Swimming World Championships
- Most Olympic gold medals in team swimming
- Most Olympic golds at one Games (8 in Beijing 2008)
- Most individual Olympic medals (16)
- Most world records set for swimming (male)
Personal Life
Bob Bowman, Phelps's coach, described him as very focused before a race. But after, he was a kind person who cared about others.
Phelps is married to Nicole Johnson, a former Miss California USA. They got married secretly on June 13, 2016. They have four sons together. The family lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Phelps volunteers as an assistant coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils swim team.
When he was a teenager, Phelps looked up to Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe. Thorpe once said it was unlikely Phelps would win eight gold medals in Beijing. Phelps used this as motivation. After Phelps won his eighth gold, Thorpe congratulated him. He said he was proud of how much Phelps had grown.
Phelps loves golf and has played in many tournaments. He even thought about becoming a professional golfer after swimming. He is also a big fan of the Baltimore Ravens football team.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used his $1 million bonus from Speedo to create the Michael Phelps Foundation. This foundation works to make swimming more popular. It also encourages people to live healthier lives.
In 2010, the Michael Phelps Foundation started the "im" program. This program teaches children about being active and healthy. It focuses on swimming and helps kids set goals. The "im" program is offered through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Special Olympics International. The Foundation also has other programs.
Phelps said he hoped to work more with his Foundation after he retired from swimming in 2012. In 2017, he joined the board of Medibio. This company helps diagnose mental health conditions.
Honors and Awards
Phelps was on the USA Olympic team five times (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016). He holds records for most Olympic gold medals (23) and most individual gold medals (13). A street in his hometown of Baltimore was renamed "The Michael Phelps Way" in 2004. He has received many awards for his achievements, including:
- Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award: 8 times
- Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year Award: 11 times
- Fédération internationale de natation Swimmer of the Year: 2012, 2016
- Golden Goggle Male Athlete of the Year: 7 times
- Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year: 2008
- Associated Press Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2012
- Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award: 2017
Images for kids
In Spanish: Michael Phelps para niños
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
- List of multiple Olympic medalists
- List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
- List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
- List of top Olympic gold medalists in swimming
- List of individual gold medalists in swimming at the Olympics and World Aquatics Championships (men)
- World record progression 100 metres butterfly
- World record progression 200 metres butterfly
- World record progression 200 metres freestyle
- World record progression 200 metres individual medley
- World record progression 400 metres individual medley
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
- World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay