Michael Phelps

Born in 1985, Baltimore native Michael Phelps attended the University of Michigan before establishing himself as one of the highest-tiered competitive swimmers of the early 21st century. Phelps first entered the international spotlight at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, where he won six gold medals and two bronze; that feat qualified him as the first Olympian since 1980 to net eight medals in one Olympic year. Riding the crest of glory from that competition, Phelps subsequently participated in the 2005 World Championship games, where he netted five gold medals and one silver medal, then moved on to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, where he won eight more gold medals -- the most ever won by an athlete at a single Olympics. He also set several world records and became the top Olympic gold medal-winning athlete of all time (with a total of 14). Phelps' many additional accomplishments include winning 17 World Championships, setting world records in the 200m butterfly and the 200m IM (individual medley), and achieving first-place victories in the 800m free relay, the 400m free relay, and the 400m IM at the Pan-Pacific Swimming Championships. He returned to the Olympics in 2012 and left those games as the most decorated Olympian in American history, garnering 22 medals.