This Day in History 1972: Mark Spitz

ANTELOPE VALLEY, CA—When it comes to legendary swimmers, Mark Spitz is in a league of his own. Back in the day, this guy racked up five Pan Am golds, 31 AAU titles, eight NCAA championships, and shattered 33 world records. Not bad for someone who made waves long before high-tech swimsuits and underwater cameras.

American swimmer Mark Spitz in the 400-meter medley swimming event at the Summer Olympic swim hall in Munich, Germany (© AP Photo)

Spitz was named World Swimmer of the Year three times—1969, 1971, and 1972—but his biggest splash came at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. On September 4th, he made history by becoming the first athlete ever to win seven Olympic gold medals in a single Games. And he didn’t just win—he set world records in every single event:

• 100m freestyle

• 200m freestyle

• 100m butterfly

• 200m butterfly

• 4x100m freestyle relay

• 4x200m freestyle relay

• 4x100m medley relay

His record stood untouched for over 30 years, until Michael Phelps finally topped it in 2008. Even now, only a handful of Olympic athletes—just four—have ever earned nine or more career golds.

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