Amazing Moments in Olympic History: Michael Phelps

Last summer at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Michael Phelps went from being a swimmer from Baltimore to becoming a worldwide phenomenon. One year ago as of Aug. 17, he won his eighth gold medal, becoming the first and only Olympian to have won that many gold medals at one Games.

Phelps surpassed the previous record of seven gold medals won by Mark Spitz, also a swimmer, at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

The 6-4 Phelps swept the 400-meter individual medley, the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, the 200-meter freestyle, the 200-meter butterfly, the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, the 200-meter individual medley, the 100-meter butterfly and the 4x100-meter medley relay.

Four years earlier Phelps had won eight medals at the Athens Games: six golds and two bronzes. He didn't medal at his first Games in Sydney in 2000 when he was 15, but he was the youngest male athlete at an Olympic Games since 1932.

Before becoming a household name, Phelps got his start in the sport because of his older sisters, Hilary and Whitney. They swam, so when he was 7 Michael got in the pool as well. Hilary swam for the University of Richmond, and Whitney had a shot at the Olympic team. When Michael was 10 he was cheering on Whitney at the Olympic Trials in 1996. She didn't make the team, but the Olympic bug had bitten the Phelps family.

Five years later, the Phelps family was cheering again, this time for Michael.

Since posting his Olympic accomplishments, Phelps has been honored with a slew of awards: USA Swimming Swimmer of the Year (2001, 2003, 2004), USA Swimming Male Athlete of the Year (2004), ESPY - Best Olympic Performance (2005), Golden Goggle Relay Performance of the Year (2006, 2007), Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year (2008) and U.S. Olympic Committee SportsMan of the Year (2008).

Fans voted for the 2009 ESPY Awards, which were held last month, and the 24-year-old was presented with five ESPYs: Best Male Athlete, Best Record-Breaking Performance, Best Championship Performance, Best Male Olympian and Best Moment.

Phelps, who has returned to Baltimore after swimming in Ann Arbor, Mich., for four years, appears to be on track to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games. But even if he never jumps in a pool again, his eight gold medals in Beijing will go down in Olympic history.