Mark Spitz
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-gold 1972 champion.
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His achievement of seven gold medals at a single Olympics stood for 36 years until Michael Phelps surpassed it in 2008.[1] At the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Spitz was the top-performing competitor, capturing seven gold medals and breaking the world record in every one of those events.[1]
Key facts and history
He set his first world record in June 1967 in the 400-meter freestyle at a small California meet.[2][3] After the Munich Massacre, Spitz left early due to security concerns because he is Jewish.[4][3] He retired from competition at age 22 following the Munich Olympics.[5] By the time he was nine, Spitz was practicing at the Arden Hills Swim Club in Sacramento under the guidance of coach Sherm Chavoor.[6]
In August 1965, when he was 15, Spitz participated in the Maccabiah Games in Tel Aviv, where he earned four gold medals and received the honor of being the Games' most outstanding athlete.[7][3] Spitz enrolled at Indiana University in January 1969 to train under coach Doc Counsilman.[8]
What the cited sources add
The Jewish Virtual Library account states that Spitz's father always taught him about the importance of being first.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Mark Spitz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Mark Spitz Biography", Olympics.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mark Spitz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Santa Clara Swim Club. Alumni: Spitz", Santaclaraswimclub.org, November 14, 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Mark Spitz", Jewish Virtual Library. facts only, no text reused. jewishvirtuallibrary.org
- Wikipedia, "Mark Spitz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Taylor, Paul, "Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics – With a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medalists", Sussex Academic Press, 2004; Reeve, Simon, "One Day in September: The Full Story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli Revenge Operation "Wrath of God"", Skyhorse Publishing Inc., 2011; Moore, Kenny, "Leading Men", Runner's World, April 2006; MacKin, Tom, "Making Other Plans: A Memoir", Author House, 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mark Spitz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Mark Spitz: I'm 'just a regular guy' who achieved Olympic swimming glory", TODAY.com, July 14, 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mark Spitz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chavoor, Sherm, with Introduction by Mark Spitz, The 50-meter Jungle, (1973) Coward, McCann, Geoghegan, Inc., Longman Canada Limited Publishers, Toronto, Librar (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mark Spitz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Mark Spitz", Jewish Virtual Library; "U.S. WINS 4 TESTS IN ISRAELI GAMES; Spitz Stars as Maccabiah Squad Dominates Swim", The New York Times; "SPITZ, U.S., GAINS 4TH GOLD MEDAL; 15-Year-Old Swimmer Wins 1,500 at Tel Aviv", The New York Times (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Mark Spitz" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Mark Spitz", Doc Counsilman: Making Waves; "Indiana University Archives", Indiana.edu, May 16, 2003 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Mark Spitz (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold Olympic Games — 1968 Mexico City 4×100 m freestyle
- Gold Olympic Games — 1972 Munich 100 m butterfly
- Silver Olympic Games — 1968 Mexico City 100 m butterfly
- Bronze Olympic Games — 1968 Mexico City 100 m freestyle
- Gold Pan American Games — 1967 Winnipeg 100 m butterfly
- Gold Maccabiah Games — 1965 4 Gold medals
- Gold Maccabiah Games — 1969 6 Gold medals
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Mark Spitz (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Also in the Codexery
More in Olympic Champions
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Links follow this subject's own source article.
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Mark Spitz (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
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