As a boy, Phelps was diagnosed as having ADHD or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. So he began to learn swimming at the age of seven, due in part to his sisters' influence and in part to find him an outlet for his seemingly boundless energy. He did extremely well as a swimmer that by age ten, he held several national records for his age group.

When Phelps was eleven, Coach Bob Bowman spotted his potential, observing how he determinedly swam through an injury to victory. While Bowman recognized Phelps' energy and resolve to be important competitive qualities, not everyone saw such potential in the youngster. In fact, one of his middle school teachers commented that he will never be successful.

Anyway, Phelps would not disappoint. By age fifteen, he qualified for the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, becoming the youngest American male swimmer to participate at the Olympics in sixty-eight years. Though he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200m butterfly. Five months following the Sydney Games, he broke the world record in the same event to become the youngest man to set a swimming world record at fifteen years and nine months.

At the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps had the opportunity of breaking Mark Spitz' record total of seven gold totals won in the 1972 Munich Games, by competing in eight swimming events: the 200m freestyle, the 100m butterfly, the 200m butterfly, the 200m individual medley, the 400m individual medley, the 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay, and the 4x100m medley relay. However, he went on to win gold medals in all events except the 4x100m freestyle relay and the 200m freestyle, both in bronze medal position. Though he fail to match or surpass Spitz's record, he did win eight medals in a single Olympics, an achievement previously achieved by the Soviet Gymnast Alexander Dityatin at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Prior to the 2008 Beijing Games, there was great hype on another possibility of Phelps' breaking Mark Spitz' record. But Phelps hardly ever mentioned the record as his Olympic goal, spurring the media and his sponsor Speedo to offer one million dollars to stir up excitement over the possibility. It turns out that his goals were even grander, that is, not only to win all eight of his events but also to perform all with personal best times. And this he did!

Phelps opened the swimming competition with a win in his very first event, the 400m individual medley, and went on to win the 200m individual medley, 100m and 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 4x100m medley relay, and both the 4x100m and 4x200 freestyle relays, eight in total.

His seven golds came in world record times. In the 100m butterfly, he almost missed the gold by a margin of just one one-hundredth of a second, setting an Olympic record. All in all, he swam seventeen times over nine hectic days, watchfully evaluating his effort and always shining the brightest when it most mattered.

"Epic. It goes to show you that not only is this guy, the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet." - Mark Spitz (on Phelps winning his seventh gold medal)

For the ferociously competitive Phelps, there is a satisfaction that comes from proving his doubters wrong. With respect to his spectacular demonstration of swimming supremacy with historic eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, Phelps exclaimed that his every Olympic aim was achieved.

Phelps, en route to surpassing Mark Spitz' 1972 record seven gold medals at one Games, ascended to the top of Olympic greatness, matching and then outstripping the record nine career gold medals of Games legends Spitz, Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis, and Larissa Latynina.

At only twenty-three years of age, Phelps has set a record for the total number of medals won by a male Olympian with sixteen. Russian gymnast Nikolai Adrianov has fifteen - seven golds, five silvers and three bronzes in 1972, 1976, 1980 Games - had held the mark. Only Larissa Latynina's eighteen career medals exceed Phelps' total.

Michael Phelps, a restless kid who found an outlet for his energy in the water, has emerged from the pool as the greatest Olympian of all time, a feat that may never be seen again.

Vitaly Scherbo (USSR/Unified Team/Belarus)

The greatest gymnast of all time, having won World/Olympic gold medals in the all-around and on every apparatus. In fact, he won six gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics (Team, all-around, pommel horse, rings, vault and parallel bars) and the 1993 World all-around, floor exercise and parallel bars title. His brash personality and strange capability to come up with exceptional performances when it most mattered gained him instant popularity with worldwide audiences.

Alexei Nemov (Russia)

The 2000 Athens Olympic all-around and high bar champion. Having won a total of twenty five World championship and Olympic medals (nine golds, six silvers and 10 bronzes), he is surely one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. His showmanship and his well-rounded gymnastic routines which were characterized by complicated acrobatic skills, elegance and flawless technique had gained him a lot of fans.

Nikolai Andrianov (USSR/Russia)

A three-time Olympian (1972, 1976 and 1980). He won a total of fifteen Olympic medals, including gold in the all-around, floor exercise, rings and vault in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Described as a natural gymnast, he won every major competition there was, including the World Cup, European Championships, and the World Championships (1978).

Boris Shakhlin (USSR/Russia)

One of the most successful Olympians, having won thirteen medals in three successive Olympics (1956, 1960 and 1964), seven of which are gold including the 1960 all-around, pommel horse, vault, parallel bars and high bar titles. He was also the 1958 World all-around champion. He got the nickname "Man of Iron" for his strong determination and consistent performance.

Vladimir Artemov (USSR/Russia)

His impressive career spanning a period of six years from 1983 to 1989 includes a combined total of eighteen World and Olympic medals, ten of which are gold medals that include the all-around, parallel bars and high bar titles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He is well remembered for his impeccable technique on parallel bars, an event in which he won three world titles (1983, 1987, and 1989). He also finished second in the all-around at the 1985 World Championships and 3rd in the all-around at the 1987 World Championships.

Dmitry Bilozerchev (USSR/Russia)

The boy wonder of gymnastics. By winning the 1983 world all-around, vault, rings, and pommel horse title at a tender age of sixteen, he became the youngest ever male world champion in the history of gymnastics. He also made a miraculous comeback by winning the 1987 world all-around, high bars and rings title after two years recuperating from a serious auto accident that crashed his leg, proving his determination and love for the sport. In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he earned bronze in the all-around and gold medals on both pommel horse and rings.

Yuri Korolev (USSR/Russia)

One of the most gifted gymnast that the former Soviet Union ever produced. He won the 1981 and 1985 World all-around championship including titles on floor exercise, rings and vault. With his individual World Championship and World Cup medals tally of twenty one, he is without question the most decorated non-Olympian (male or female) gymnast of all time. He could have been the greatest gymnast in history had not the USSR boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and an Achilles tendon injury prevented him from competing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Alexander Dityatin (USSR/Russia)

At the 1980 Moscow Olympics, he medalled in every gymnastics events, eight in all (including gold medals in the all-around and rings), setting the Olympic record for the most medals won in one Olympic games, a record that still stands today, tied only with Michael Phelps, who achieved the feat at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was also the 1979 World all-around, vault, and rings champion.

Yuri Titov (USSR/Russia)

The 1962 World all-around and rings champion and the 1958 World champion on vault. During the course of his competitive career that span three Olympics (1956, 1960 and 1964), he won a total of nine Olympic medals, ten World championship medals and an astonishing fourteen European medals.

Sawao Kato (Japan)

The 1968 and 1972 Olympic all-around champion. Participating also in three Olympics, he earned a total of twelve medals, eight of which are gold medals that include titles on floor exercise and parallel bars, making him one of the most successful gymnasts in Olympic history and the best Japanese Olympian.