Mark Spitz vs Michael Phelps
Mark Spitz vs Michael Phelps: head-to-head — careers, honours, key numbers and why the rivalry matters.
Why compare Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps?
Often compared to Spitz, Michael Phelps surpassed Spitz's Olympic gold medal count with eight golds in a single Olympics. Both swimmers have set numerous world records, with Phelps holding the all-time record for Olympic medals.
Mark Spitz
Key numbers
- Olympic Gold Medals9
- Olympic Silver Medals1
- Olympic Bronze Medals1
- Pan American Games Gold Medals5
- Maccabiah Games Gold Medals10
Top honours
- Olympic Gold Medals9 medals (1968, 1972)
- Olympic Silver Medals1 medal (1968)
- Olympic Bronze Medals1 medal (1968)
- Pan American Games Gold Medals5 medals (1967)
- Maccabiah Games Gold Medals10 medals
VS
Michael Phelps
Key numbers
- Olympic Medals28
- Olympic Gold Medals23
- World Championships (Long Course) Medals66
- Pan Pacific Championships Medals21
Top honours
- Olympic Gold Medals23 gold medals across four Olympic Games
- Olympic MedalsTotal of 28 Olympic medals
- World Championships (Long Course)26 gold medals
- World Swimmer of the YearAwarded eight times
- American Swimmer of the YearAwarded eleven times