Michael Phelps (born 30 June 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer who won more Olympic medals than any other athlete, 28 in total, including a record 23 golds. He competed at five Olympic Games, won eight golds at Beijing 2008, and retired for the second time in August 2016. This biography follows his life and career up to November 2026.
Michael Phelps at a Glance
| Full name | Michael Fred Phelps II |
| Born | 30 June 1985, Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Age | 41 (as of November 2026) |
| Profession | Former competitive swimmer |
| Olympic medals | 28 (23 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze) |
| Olympic Games | 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 |
| Coach | Bob Bowman |
| Major awards | World Swimmer of the Year (eight times); Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2008) |
| Spouse | Nicole Johnson (married 13 June 2016) |
| Children | Four sons |
Early Life and Education
Michael Phelps was born in Baltimore and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighbourhood of Towson, Maryland, the youngest of three children. His mother, Debbie, is a middle school principal, and his father, also named Michael, was a Maryland State Trooper. His parents divorced in 1994, when he was nine, and he later said the divorce had a severe effect on him and his siblings. He began swimming at seven, partly because of his sisters and partly to give him an outlet for his energy, and he graduated from Towson High School in 2003. He has trained under Bob Bowman since he was 11.
Olympic Career
Phelps competed at his first Olympics in Sydney in 2000 at the age of 15. At Athens in 2004 he won six golds and two bronze medals, equalling the record of eight medals at a single Games. At Beijing in 2008 he won eight gold medals, breaking Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven golds at one Games. At London in 2012 he won four golds and two silvers, and he announced his retirement after the Games.
He came out of retirement in April 2014. In 2015 he was dropped from the team for the World Championships after a drink-driving arrest the previous September, which led to a six-month suspension by USA Swimming. At Rio in 2016, his fifth Games, he was chosen as the United States' flag bearer, won five golds and one silver, and ended his career with a gold in the 4×100 metre medley relay on 13 August 2016, his 23rd Olympic gold and 28th medal overall. He was the most successful athlete at four Games in a row.
Records and Awards
Phelps holds the all-time Olympic records for gold medals (23), individual gold medals (13) and individual medals (16). He was a long-course world record holder in the 200 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 200 m individual medley and 400 m individual medley, and he won 82 medals in major international long-course competitions, 65 of them gold. He was named World Swimmer of the Year eight times and American Swimmer of the Year eleven times, and Sports Illustrated named him Sportsman of the Year after the 2008 Olympics. He won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year award in 2017.
Personal Life and Mental Health
Phelps married the former Miss California USA Nicole Johnson on 13 June 2016. They have four sons and live in Paradise Valley, Arizona. In January 2018 he revealed that he has struggled with ADHD and depression and that he contemplated suicide after the 2012 Olympics. He has since spoken publicly about mental health. After the 2008 Games he founded the Michael Phelps Foundation, which promotes the growth of swimming and a healthier lifestyle.
Legacy
Phelps changed expectations of what a swimmer can achieve, and his Olympic medal record has stood for a decade. He is widely regarded as the greatest swimmer of all time and one of the greatest athletes. This biography draws on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps), [Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael%2DPhelps) and [Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/93860).
