Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950) is an American former competitive swimmer and nine-time Olympic champion. He was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning seven gold medals, all in world record time. This was an achievement that lasted for 36 years until it was surpassed by fellow American Michael Phelps, who won eight golds at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

I’m going to rate this.

I figured it would get three stars.

He could use some creatinine

Spitz stache better than Zaldain’s.

A true pron stache from back in the real pron days!

Didnt he die from Aids?

No

He reminds me of myself.
Maybe has a little darker tan.
I also do not have that many gold medals

did you frame that picture yourself or is that a life sized poster on your carpet?

Swimmers have an advantage in that they have multiple events they can compete in that are similar.

I thought the most astounding swimmer I have seen was Katy Ladecky.
Nobody in the history of swimming and I think you could find it in track too, could do what she did this Olympics.
Won the 800 and 1500 women's freestyle. Placed second in the 400, and fifth in the 200.

Nobody that I have ever heard of who ever won the 1500 meter race was ever competitive in the 200 free. It just does not happen that someone so good at long distances can be so good in a short race.
Also she won the 1500 just an hour after she swam her 200. Just another thing that does not happen very often.



In the 68 games in Mexico city, Spitz had bragged about winning all those medals but then when the games started he was not feeling well. My coach, Doug Russell who swam at UTA under coach Don Easterling, was the first to beat him in the 100 butterfly winning the gold. Spitz did not brag about anything 4 years later when he won the 7 golds.

Dang, Spitz is 71 years old now.

Mudshark, were you a magnum PI fan?

Swimming and maybe gymnastics are the only sports where people can win 8 medals, and I don't know how common that is in gymnastics. It seems that swimmers are either fast or they're not, and there are probably too many races. Do we really need a breast stroke race and a butterfly? I bet the same person wins them both most of the time.

Was there any kid that did not have this poster hanging over their bed back in the day? I think not.