An American former swimmer, Mark Spitz is a nine-time Olympic champion who is famed for winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, establishing a world record. Spitz took nine Olympic medals between 1968 and 1972, as well as five Pan American gold medals. Throughout his career, Spitz has set 35 world records and has been named World Swimmer of the Year on several occasions, in 1969, 1971 and 1972.
At the early age of ten, Spitz already held a world age-group record, as well as 17 national records. Spitz showed great promise at a young age, holding numerous high school records in every distance and stroke. Spitz has competed at the Maccabiah Games, where he won four gold medals and was named the most outstanding athlete, also lighting the torch to open the games in 1985. Spitz’s first Olympic games was the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he won two team gold medals. After years of intense training at Indiana University, gaining the nickname ‘Mark the Shark’, Spitz returned to the Olympic stage in 1972 in Munich, dominating the event and winning seven medals and setting several world records.
Since retiring, Spitz was ranked No 33 on ESPN Sports Century 50 Greatest Athletes and has also featured on many television shows and platforms including Bob Hope, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and Emergency!, amongst others. Spitz went on to work for ABC Sports as a presenter, covering the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Spitz has also appeared in magazines and on numerous commercials.
