Michael Phelps is an American swimmer who has won 16 Olympic medals — six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004 and eight gold at Beijing in 2008. He has twice tied the record eight medals of any type at a single Olympics achieved by Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. (APF)
Michael Phelps' five gold medals in individual events tied the single Games record set by Eric Heiden in the 1980 Winter Olympics and ties Vitaly Scherbo's tally at the 1992 Summer Games. Here, Phelps attends the Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2012 Fashion Show at Hammerstein Ballroom on February 8, 2012 in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Heart Truth/AFP)
Michael Phelps holds the all-time record for most gold Olympic medals, at 14. Here, he gestures at the scoreboard at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai July 27, 2011. (REUTERS/Christinne Muschi)
The eight gold medals won by Michael Phelps surpassed Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance in 1972 at Munich. Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics. Here, Michael Phelps swims in the men's 100 butterfly finals during day one of the 2012 Indianapolis Grand Prix at the Indiana University Natatorium on March 29, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images/AFP)
Michael Phelps' Olympic medal haul is second only to the 18 won by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won over three Olympics, which includes nine gold. Here, Michael Phelps swims in the men's 400 meter individual medley finals during day two of the Indy Grand Prix @ the Nat at the Indiana University Natatorium on March 30, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images/AFP)
Michael Phelps has trained under Bob Bowman since he was 11 years old. Phelps twice tied the record eight medals of any type at a single Olympics achieved by Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Summer Games. Michael Phelps swims in the women's 200 meter individual medley finals during day three of the Indy Grand Prix @ the Nat at the Indiana University Natatorium on March 31, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images/AFP)
Michael Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. Phelps is regularly tested to ensure that his system is clean of performance-enhancing drugs. Here, Michael Phelps is interviewed during the Visa Go World media day on May 8, 2012 in New York City. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images for Visa/AFP)
His Olympic success earned Michael Phelps the 2008 Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award. Here, Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps questions at a news conference February 8, 2012 in New York. He discussed his Olympic Games sponsorship with Head & Shoulders and his training for the London 2012 Olympic Games. (AFP/Don Emmert)
Michael Phelps has an incredible record of accomplishments. He has won a total of sixty-six medals in major international competition, fifty-four gold, nine silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. Here, Michael Phelps poses with his gold medal for the men's 200m butterfly final at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai July 27, 2011. (REUTERS/Bobby Yip)
The haul continued for Michael Phelps at the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships, where he won three gold medals and two silvers along with the a stellar performance at the 2003 World Championships where he won four gold medals, two silver medals, and broke five world records. Here, Michael Phelps starts in the men's 100m butterfly semi-final at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai July 29, 2011. (REUTERS/Bobby Yip)
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, by winning six gold and two bronze medals, Michael Phelps had the second-best performance ever at a single Olympics, behind Mark Spitz's seven gold medals in Munich in 1972. He was still a teen. Here, Michael Phelps competes in the men's 100m individual medley qualifying event at the Short Course Swimming World Cup in Berlin October 22, 2011. (REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz)
At the 2005 World Championships Michael Phelps won a total of six medals, 5 golds and one silver. At the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships he won five gold medals and one silver. Here, Michael Phelps of the U.S.competes to win the men's 400m individual medley event at the Short Course Swimming World Cup in Berlin October 22, 2011. (REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz)
Michael Phelps has been in three Olympic Games so far - he was a USA Olympic Team Member in 2000, 2004, and 2008. He holds the records for most Olympic gold medals at 14, most such medals in individual events at nine and most such medals at a single games at eight, in Beijing 2008. Here he competes in the men's 200m individual medley qualifying event at the Short Course Swimming World Cup in Berlin October 23, 2011. (REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz)
On August 17 at the 2008 Summer Olympics Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the men's 4×100-m medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, which had stood since 1972. Here he poses for a portrait at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx borough of New York in this February 7, 2012, file photo. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Files)
Michael Phelps' international titles and record breaking performances have earned him other awards - he won the World Swimmer of the Year Award six times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eight times. Here he poses for a portrait at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx borough of New York in this February 7, 2012, file photo. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Files)
Michael Phelps has said the 2012 Summer Olympics would likely be his last. For the 2012 Olympics, Phelps has said he will never do eight events again and will try new events. Here, Michael Phelps smiles after winning the 200 meter freestyle final at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Long Beach, California, in this July 9, 2004 file photo. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/Files)
U.S. gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps poses for a portrait at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx borough of New York February 7, 2012. Picture taken February 7, 2012. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SWIMMING PROFILE)
In November 2004, at the age of 19, Michael Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired the following month and was granted probation before judgment and was ordered to serve 18 months' probation, fined $250, obligated to speak to high school students about drinking and driving. Here Michael Phelps poses for a portrait at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx borough of New York February 7, 2012. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)