Saturday, 23 November 2024

    Mark Spitz

    • Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
    • Embed from Getty Images
    • Sport(s): Swimming
    • Statistics: 2 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Olympic Gold Medals (1968 & 1972)
      2 4x200 m Freestyle Relay Olympic Gold Medals (1968 & 1972)
      1 200 m Butterfly Olympic Gold Medal (1972)
      1 200 m Freestyle Olympic Gold Medal (1972)
      1 100 m Butterfly Olympic Gold Medal (1972)
      1 100 m Freestyle Olympic Gold Medal (1972)
      1 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Olympic Gold Medal (1972)
      1 100 m Butterfly Silver Medal (1968)
      1 100 m Freestyle Bronze Medal (1968)
      1 100 m Butterfly Pan American Games Gold Medal (1967)
      1 200 m Butterfly Pan American Games Gold Medal (1967)
      1 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Pan American Games Gold Medal (1967)
      1 4x200 m Freestyle Relay Pan American Games Gold Medal (1967)
      1 4x100 m Medley Pan American Games Gold Medal (1967)
      1 AP Male Athlete of the Year Award (1972)
      1 James E. Sullivan Award (1971)
      Member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
      Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
    • Mark Spitz won five Gold Medals at the 1967 Pan-American Games, and he predicted that he would win six Golds at the 1968 Olympics. That didn't happen, as he left Mexico City with only two Golds, both of which in relay competition. This emboldened Spitz, who enrolled at the University of Indiana, where he trained under famed swimming coach, Don Counsilman.

      Spitz destroyed the competition in the NCAA, and at the Munich Olympics in 1972, Spitz set out to win those six Gold Medals, which he did but added a seventh when he won the 100 m freestyle, an event that he was not considered the favorite. Sadly, his Olympic experience was ended early as he was escorted out of the country when Palestinian terrorists held eleven Israeli athletes' hostages and would later murder. Spitz, who is Jewish, was feared to have been a target had he stayed in Munich.

      Despite being only 22, Spitz retired from competition and cashed in on his success with rich endorsement deals, something he could not have done had he stayed a competitive swimmer due to the rules of the time concerning amateur status.

      We are proud to nominate Mark Spitz for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.
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