View source for Michael Phelps

{{Short description|American swimmer (born 1985)}}
{{About|the American swimmer|other people named Michael Phelps|Michael Phelps (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use American English|date=August 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Michael Phelps
| honorific_suffix = [[OLY]]
| image          = Michael Phelps Rio Olympics 2016.jpg
| alt            =
| caption        = Phelps at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]]
| fullname       = Michael Fred Phelps II
| nicknames      = "The Baltimore Bullet"<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title='Baltimore Bullet' has history in his sights |last=Harris |first=Nick |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/baltimore-bullet-has-history-in-his-sights-889968.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=August 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822085154/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/baltimore-bullet-has-history-in-his-sights-889968.html |archive-date=August 22, 2009 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |location=London |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />"Flying Fish"<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |publisher=NBC News |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26249018 |title='Flying Fish' Phelps largely unknown in China |date=August 17, 2008 |access-date=April 21, 2012}}</ref>
| country        = {{USA}}
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1985|6|30|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Baltimore]], Maryland, U.S.
| death_date     = 
| death_place    =
| height         = {{Cvt|6|ft|4|in}}<ref name="phelpsbio"/>
| weight         = 194 lb<ref name="MichaelPhelps Overview">{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.london2012.com/athlete/phelps-michael-1131796/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123095104/http://www.london2012.com/athlete/phelps-michael-1131796/ |title=Michael Phelps |website=London2012.com |access-date=August 1, 2012}}</ref>
| spouse         = {{Marriage|[[Nicole Johnson (Miss California USA)|Nicole Johnson]]|2016}}
| children       = 4
| strokes        = [[Butterfly stroke|Butterfly]], [[medley swimming|individual medley]], [[freestyle swimming|freestyle]], [[backstroke]]
| club           = [[North Baltimore Aquatic Club]]
| coach          = [[Bob Bowman (coach)|Bob Bowman]]
| show-medals = no 
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's [[swimming (sport)|swimming]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCount|total=yes
|[[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]|23|3|2
|[[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]|26|6|1
|[[FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|World Championships (SC)]]|1|0|0
|[[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]|16|5|0
}}
{{MedalCount|type=By race|total=yes
|100 m butterfly|8|3|0
|200 m butterfly|10|2|0
|200 m medley|9|2|0
|400 m medley|6|0|0
|200 m freestyle|4|2|1
|200 m backstroke|0|1|0
|4×100 m freestyle|7|2|2
|4×200 m freestyle|11|2|0
|4×100 m medley|11|0|0
}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | {{GamesName|SOG|2004}} | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2004 Athens | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2004 Athens | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2004 Athens | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2004 Athens | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2004 Athens | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | {{GamesName|SOG|2008}} | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | {{GamesName|SOG|2012}} | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2012 London | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2012 London | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2012 London | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | {{GamesName|SOG|2016}} | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2012 London | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2012 London | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalBronze | 2004 Athens | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalBronze | 2004 Athens | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001 Fukuoka]] | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 Barcelona]] | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2003 Barcelona | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2003 Barcelona | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2003 Barcelona | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships|2005 Montreal]] | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2005 Montreal | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2005 Montreal | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2005 Montreal | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2005 Montreal | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 Melbourne]] | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 Melbourne | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 Melbourne | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 Melbourne | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 Melbourne | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 Melbourne | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 Melbourne | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 Rome]] | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2009 Rome | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2009 Rome | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2009 Rome | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2009 Rome | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships|2011 Shanghai]] | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2011 Shanghai | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2011 Shanghai | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2011 Shanghai | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2003 Barcelona | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2003 Barcelona | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2005 Montreal | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2009 Rome | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2011 Shanghai | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2011 Shanghai | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalBronze | 2011 Shanghai | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|World Championships (SC)]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2004 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|2004 Indianapolis]] | 200 m freestyle}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2002 Yokohama]] | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2002 Yokohama | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2002 Yokohama | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Victoria]] | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Victoria | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Victoria | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Victoria | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2006 Victoria | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2010 Irvine]] | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2010 Irvine | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2010 Irvine | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2010 Irvine | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2010 Irvine | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2014 Gold Coast]] | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2014 Gold Coast | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold| 2014 Gold Coast | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver| 2002 Yokohama | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]]}}
{{MedalSilver| 2002 Yokohama | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver| 2006 Victoria | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre backstroke|200 m backstroke]]}}
{{MedalSilver| 2014 Gold Coast | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver| 2014 Gold Coast | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
|module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Michael Phelps on how he came to be an Olympic Athlete.ogg|title=Michael Phelps's voice|type=speech|description=Michael Phelps on how he came to be an [[List of top Olympic gold medalists in swimming|Olympic Athlete]]<br/>Recorded February 28, 2017}}
}}

'''Michael Fred Phelps II<ref name="TV Guide">{{#invoke:Cite|encyclopedia|date=December 1, 2005|chapter=Michael Phelps(Full Birth Name)|title=britannica.com|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Phelps|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712050539/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Phelps|archive-date=July 12, 2021|access-date=August 31, 2021}}</ref>''' (born June 30, 1985)<ref name=biography.com>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.biography.com/people/michael-phelps-345192 |title=Michael Phelps Biography: Swimming, Athlete (1985–) |publisher=[[Biography.com]] ([[FYI (TV network)|FYI]] / [[A&E Networks]]) |access-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and [[list of multiple Olympic medalists|most decorated Olympian of all time]]<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/phelps-30-medals-in-tokyo-i-dont-think-so-225651329.html |title=Michael Phelps: 30 medals in Tokyo? 'I don't think so' |first1=Tanner |last1=Walters |date=August 13, 2016 |publisher=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref> with a total of 28 medals.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=Michael Phelps |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/93860 |website=www.olympedia.org |access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref> Phelps also holds the all-time records for [[list of multiple Olympic gold medalists#List of most Olympic gold medals over career|Olympic gold medals]] (23),<ref name="sportscafe">{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://sportscafe.in/articles/sports/2016/aug/12/rio-2016-simone-biles-dazzles-while-phelps-wins-his-22-nd-gold-on-day-6 |title=Rio 2016 {{!}} Simone Biles dazzles while Phelps wins his 22nd gold on day 6|date=August 12, 2016|access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists#List of most career gold medals in individual events|Olympic gold medals in individual events]] (13), and [[List of multiple Olympic medalists#List of most career medals in individual events|Olympic medals in individual events]] (16).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/phelps-breaks-ties-overall-gold-individual-medals/ |title=Phelps breaks ties for most overall & gold individual medals |first1=Robert |last1=Gibbs |date=August 11, 2016 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> At the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in Athens, Phelps tied the record of eight medals of any color at a single Games, held by gymnast [[Alexander Dityatin]], by winning six gold and two bronze medals. Four years later, when he won eight gold medals at the [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing Games]], he broke fellow American swimmer [[Mark Spitz]]'s 1972 record of seven [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games|first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games]]. At the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London, Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, and at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver. This made him the [[Lists of Olympic medalists#Medalist with most medals by Olympiad|most successful]] athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/phelps-named-usocs-male-athlete-rio-olympics/ |title=Phelps named USOC's male athlete of the Rio Olympics |first1=Jared |last1=Anderson |date=September 28, 2016 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=October 2, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://www.swimnews.com/News/view/9743 |title=Franklin Pips Phelps For Top Honour |publisher=SwimNews |date=September 16, 2012 |last=Lord |first=Craig |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006130751/http://www.swimnews.com/News/view/9743 |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>

Phelps is a former [[Olympic-size swimming pool|long course]] world record holder in the [[World record progression 200 metres freestyle|200-meter freestyle]], [[World record progression 100 metres butterfly|100-meter butterfly]], [[World record progression 200 metres butterfly|200-meter butterfly]], [[World record progression 200 metres individual medley|200-meter individual medley]], and [[World record progression 400 metres individual medley|400-meter individual medley]]. He has won 82 medals in major international long course competitions, of which 65 were gold, 14 silver, and three bronze, spanning the Olympics, the [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships]], and the [[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]. Phelps's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the [[Swimming World Swimmers of the Year|World Swimmer of the Year Award]] eight times and [[Swimming World Swimmers of the Year#American Swimmer of the Year|American Swimmer of the Year Award]] eleven times, as well as the [[List of FINA Athletes of the Year#Swimming|FINA Swimmer of the Year]] Award in 2012 and 2016. Phelps earned ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine's [[Sportsman of the Year]] award due to his unprecedented Olympic success in the 2008 Games.

After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the [[Michael Phelps Foundation]], which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. Phelps retired following the 2012 Olympics, but he made a comeback in April 2014.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Olympic-Great-Michael-Phelps-Ending-Retirement-255182961.html |title=Olympic Great Michael Phelps Ending Retirement |access-date=November 21, 2015 |last=Harris |first=Beth |date=April 14, 2014 |publisher=[[WRC-TV|NBC Washington]]}}</ref> At the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in Rio de Janeiro,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2016/05/03/michael-phelps-atlanta-swim-meet-olympic-trials/ |title=Michael Phelps left with one meet before Olympic Trials |first1=Nick |last1=Zaccardi |date=May 3, 2016 |publisher=[[Olympics on NBC]] |access-date=May 23, 2016}}</ref> his fifth Olympics, he was selected by his team to be the [[List of flag bearers for the United States at the Olympics|flag bearer of the United States]] at the [[2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations]]. He announced his second retirement on August 12, 2016,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|last1=Rogers|first1=Martin|title=Michael Phelps on Olympic future: 'I am not coming back in four years'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/12/michael-phelps-swimming-future-2020-tokyo-olympics/88649590/|website=USA Today|access-date=July 26, 2017}}</ref> having won more medals than 161 countries. He won the [[Laureus World Sports Award|Laureus World]] [[Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year|Comeback of the Year Award]] in 2017.<ref name=Laureus>{{cite web|title=PAST WINNERS|url=https://www.laureus.com/world-sports-awards/past-winners|website=Laureus Sport for Good Foundation}}</ref> He is widely regarded as the greatest swimmer of all time and is often considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|title=Where Does Michael Phelps Rank Among Great Athletes Of All Time?|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/49420-where-does-michael-phelps-rank-among-great-athletes-of-all-time|website=BleacherReport|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|last1=Jones|first1=Tom|title=Jones: Put Michael Phelps in talk about greatest athlete of all time|url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/olympics/jones-put-michael-phelps-in-talk-about-greatest-athlete-of-all-time/2289455/|website=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
{{TOC limit}}

==Early life and education==
Phelps was born in [[Baltimore]], Maryland,<ref name=biography.com /> and raised in the [[Rodgers Forge]] neighborhood of nearby [[Towson, Maryland|Towson]].<ref name="voyage">{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=Phelps' voyage |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-te.sp.phelps03aug03,0,5792765.story |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=August 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629160157/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-te.sp.phelps03aug03,0,5792765.story |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He attended Rodgers Forge Elementary, [[Dumbarton Middle School]], and [[Towson High School]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://ifollosports.com/ifollo-blogs/jon-rapoport/michael-phelps%27-baltimore-life-out-pool-photos |title=Michael Phelps' Baltimore Life, In & Out of the Pool (Photos) |author=Jon Rapoport |publisher=ifollosports |date=August 3, 2012 |access-date=August 1, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Phelps is the youngest of three children. His mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Phelps (''née'' Davisson), is a middle school principal.<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 15."/> His father, Michael Fred Phelps, was a retired [[Maryland State Police|Maryland State Trooper]] who played [[American football|football]] in high school and college and tried out for the [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] in the 1970s.<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 15.">Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 15.</ref><ref name=sun2001>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Life in the Fast Lane |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-phelps0609,0,6686072,full.story |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=January 14, 2001 |access-date=July 31, 2012 |author=Hiaasen, Rob |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203010609/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-phelps0609,0,6686072,full.story |archive-date=December 3, 2013 }}</ref> His parents divorced in 1994 when he was nine years old, and his father remarried in 2000.<ref name=sun2001/> Phelps later revealed that the divorce had a severe negative impact on him and his siblings, and his relationship with his father was distant for a few years after the divorce.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rmse3WzHmckC|title=Beneath the Surface: My Story|last1=Phelps|first1=Michael|last2=Cazeneuve|first2=Brian|date=August 14, 2012|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.|isbn=9781613213247|language=en}}</ref> He graduated from Towson High School in 2003.<ref name="Towson High">{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Klingaman |first=Mike |title=Towson High proud to have its own star in Phelps |url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007-03-31/sports/0703310085_1_michael-phelps-towson-high-kimmie-meissner |access-date=July 28, 2012 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=May 31, 2007 |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230432/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007-03-31/sports/0703310085_1_michael-phelps-towson-high-kimmie-meissner |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Phelps began swimming at the age of seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 16.</ref> After retirement in 2016, he stated "The only reason I ever got in the water was my mom wanted me to just learn how to swim. My sisters and myself fell in love with the sport, and we decided to swim."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBgx5Qrgapk&t=220 Michael Phelps explains to Jimmy Fallon that his focus in retirement will be on water safety, to help reduce the number of accidental drownings of children] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211110748/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBgx5Qrgapk&t=220 |date=February 11, 2017 }} "Michael Phelps Retires to Run His Baby Boomer's Instagram", The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Thursday, September 1, 2016 (uploaded Sep2)</ref> When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with [[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]] (ADHD).<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 24.</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 4.</ref> By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group (in the 100-meter butterfly)<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/carson-foster-downs-michael-phelps-u-s-national-age-group-record/ |title=Carson Foster Downs Michael Phelps U.S. National Age Group Record |date=July 22, 2012 |work=[[Swimming World]] |access-date=August 6, 2016}}</ref> and began to train at the [[North Baltimore Aquatic Club]] under coach [[Bob Bowman (coach)|Bob Bowman]]. More age group records followed, and as of August 21, 2018, Phelps still held 11 age group records, eight in long course,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/timesdocuments/relay-records/usa-swimming-national-a-g-records-l-c-3 |title=USA Swimming National Age Group Records Long Course |date=August 31, 2018 |publisher=[[USA Swimming]] |access-date=September 11, 2018}}</ref> and three in short course.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/timesdocuments/relay-records/usa-swimming-national-a-g-records-sc |title=USA Swimming National Age Group Records Short Course |date=August 31, 2018 |publisher=[[USA Swimming]] |access-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911191343/https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/timesdocuments/relay-records/usa-swimming-national-a-g-records-sc |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Swimming career==

===Training===
Phelps has trained under [[Bob Bowman (coach)|Bob Bowman]] since he was 11 years old.<ref>Schaller, p. 24.</ref> Bowman swam for [[Florida State University]] from 1983 to 1985.<ref>Schaller, p. 22.</ref> Phelps has said Bowman reminded him of a [[Drill instructor|drill sergeant]] because of his disciplined and regimented ways.<ref>Schaller, p. 25.</ref> Phelps has said, "Training with Bob is the smartest thing I've ever done ... I'm not going to swim for anyone else."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Opposites attract |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-te.sp.bowman16aug16,0,265609.story |work=The Baltimore Sun |author=Kevin Van Valkenburg |date=August 16, 2008 |access-date=July 3, 2010}}</ref> After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bowman was hired as the head coach for the [[University of Michigan]] after [[Jon Urbanchek]] retired. Phelps joined Bowman at Michigan to train and attended classes over a span of four years, but did not pursue a degree.<ref>Schaller, p. 45.</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 66.</ref> Phelps served as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/olympics/spec-rel/2012-olympics-roster.html |title=University of Michigan Official Athletic Site – Olympics |publisher=Mgoblue.Com |date=July 26, 2012 |access-date=August 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801041050/http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/olympics/spec-rel/2012-olympics-roster.html |archive-date=August 1, 2012 }}</ref> After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bowman returned to Baltimore as CEO at the [[North Baltimore Aquatic Club]]. Phelps also returned to Baltimore with Bowman.<ref>Schaller, p. 27.</ref> When Bowman was hired as the men's and women's swimming coach at [[Arizona State University]] in 2015, Phelps moved to Arizona to continue training under Bowman.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bs-sp-digest-0515-20150515-story.html|title=Michael Phelps on moving to Arizona: 'I get to be tan all year'|date=May 15, 2015|website=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=August 7, 2017}}</ref> There is a popular myth that Phelps ate 12,000 calories every day, but Phelps has stated it has been exaggerated and that he did not eat so much even in his growing days.<ref name="eisenband">{{Cite web |last=Eisenband |first=Jeff |date=June 16, 2017 |title=Michael Phelps Debunks Myth Of His 12,000-Calorie Diet |url=http://www.thepostgame.com/michael-phelps-debunks-12000-calorie-diet-myth |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217102056/http://www.thepostgame.com/michael-phelps-debunks-12000-calorie-diet-myth |archive-date=December 17, 2019 |access-date=December 17, 2019 |website=The Post Game}}</ref><ref name="jennings">{{#invoke:Cite|web |last1=Jennings |first1=Ken |title=The Debunker: Did Michael Phelps Really Eat 12,000 Calories a Day? |url=https://www.woot.com/blog/post/the-debunker-did-michael-phelps-really-eat-12-000-calories-a-day |website=woot.com |publisher=Woot |date=June 12, 2019 |access-date=December 17, 2019}}</ref>

===2000 Summer Olympics===
Phelps's rapid improvement culminated when he [[2000 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)|qualified]] for the [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Summer Olympics]] at the age of 15, as he became the youngest male (since [[Ralph Flanagan (swimmer)|Ralph Flanagan]] in 1932) to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 85.</ref> While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200-meter butterfly]].<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 78.</ref>

===2001 World championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001 World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:54.58 (WR)}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At the World Championship Trials for the [[2001 World Aquatics Championships]], on March 30, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest male ever to set a world record in swimming. Previously the youngest male had been [[Ian Thorpe]], who captured the 400-meter freestyle world record at 16 years, 10 months.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 88.</ref> At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Phelps broke his own world record in the 200-meter butterfly while en route to become a world champion for the first time.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 92.</ref>

===2002 Pan Pacific championships===
[[File:Michael_Phelps_2002.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Phelps in 2002]]
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2002 Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:59.70}}
{{MedalGold | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]] | 4:12.48}}
{{MedalGold | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:33.48 (WR)}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1.55.41}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:11.81}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At Nationals, the selection meet for the [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships]], in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Phelps set an American record in the 200-meter individual medley and was just off the world record in the 200-meter butterfly.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 109.</ref> In the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps bettered the world record held by [[Tom Dolan]] with a time of 4:11.09, just ahead of [[Erik Vendt]], who finished second with a time of 4:11.27, also below the old world record. In the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps was barely beaten by [[Klete Keller]] and in the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps beat [[Ian Crocker]].<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 110">Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 110</ref>

At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Phelps won three gold medals and two silvers. In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won gold ahead of [[Erik Vendt]] with a time of 4:12.48. In the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps lost to [[Tom Malchow]], finishing behind him 1:55.41 to 1:55.21. Phelps said he lost because he did not take butterfly training seriously after he broke the world record. In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:59.70. In the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with [[Nate Dusing]], Klete Keller, and [[Chad Carvin]], won the silver medal with a time 7:11.81 finishing behind Australia. The U.S. 4×100-meter medley relay team consisted of [[Aaron Peirsol]], [[Brendan Hansen]], Phelps, and Ian Crocker. In the final for the medley relay, Phelps swam a 51.1 split, at the time the fastest split in history. The final time of 3:33.48 was a world record.<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 111">Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 111</ref>

===2003 World championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:54.35}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:56.04 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]] | 4:09.09 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:31.54 (WR) (Phelps swam in heats only)}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 51.10}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:10.26}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At Nationals, Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter backstroke, and the 100-meter butterfly.<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 122.">Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 122.</ref> He became the first American swimmer to win three different races in three different strokes at a national championship.<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 122."/> At the 2003 Duel in the Pool, a meet that pits swimming stars from Australia and the United States, Phelps broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:10.73 and almost broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly, just missing the record by 0.03 seconds.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 123.</ref> At a meet in Santa Clara County, California, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 1:57.94.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 134.</ref> Phelps said he broke the 200-meter individual medley world record after [[Don Talbot]] said Phelps was unproven, using his words as motivation.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 133.</ref>

At the [[2003 World Aquatics Championships]], Phelps won four gold medals, two silver medals, and broke five world records.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2003/07/27/phelps030727.html |access-date=September 6, 2009 |title=Phelps breaks fifth record at aquatic worlds |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=July 28, 2003}}</ref> Phelps broke his first world record on July 22 in the semi-finals for the 200-meter butterfly. Phelps swam a 1:53.93 to break his own world record of 1:54.58 set in 2001 and became the first man to swim under 1:54.00.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050026000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 200 m butterfly results (semi-final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> In the final of the 200-meter butterfly, on July 23, Phelps easily won the gold medal, but did not come close to his world record with a time of 1:54.35.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050031000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> Less than an hour later, Phelps swam the lead-off leg for the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Phelps put up a solid time of 1:46.60 (an American record) but the Americans could not match the depth of the Australians and ultimately finished second 7:10.26 to 7:08.58.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050034000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 4×200 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref>

In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps dominated. On July 24, in the semi-finals of the 200-meter individual medley, he broke his own world record with a time of 1:57.52.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050042000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 200 m individual medley results (semi-final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> On July 25, in the final of the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps smashed his own record with a time of 1:56.04 to win the gold medal and finished almost 3 seconds ahead of [[Ian Thorpe]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050053000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> About an hour before the final of the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps swam in the semi-finals of the 100-meter butterfly. Phelps dominated again, finishing in the top seed position with a world record time of 51.47.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010305004F000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 100 m butterfly results (semi-final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> However, in the final of the 100-meter butterfly, on July 26, [[Ian Crocker]] erased Phelps's world record with a time of 50.98, to become the first man under 51 seconds. Phelps swam a 51.10 (also under his former world record), but had to settle for silver.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050060000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> In the final of the 400-meter individual medley, on July 27, Phelps broke his own world record with a time of 4:09.09 to easily claim the gold medal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050069000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 400 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> About half an hour later, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-meter medley relay.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010305006B000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 4×100 m medley relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> Phelps did not swim in the finals, but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000103050064000000FFFFFFFFFFFF00 |title=2003 World Championships – Men's 4×100 m medley relay results (heats) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref>

===2004 Summer Olympics===

====Trials====
At the [[2004 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)|2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials]], Phelps competed in six events; the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, the 100- and 200-meter butterfly, the 200-meter freestyle, and the 200-meter backstroke.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 179.</ref> In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps easily won with a world record time of 4:08.41.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104090005000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 400 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104633/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104090005000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Two days later, in the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:46.27, finishing sixth-tenths of a second ahead of [[Klete Keller]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010409001A000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211111031/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010409001A000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Phelps, however, was not pleased with the result and wanted to be in the 1:45s and was uncertain if he would swim the event in Athens.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 181.</ref> The following day, Phelps won in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 1:54.31, three seconds ahead of second-place finisher [[Tom Malchow]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104090025000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211111008/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104090025000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After two days off, Phelps was back in the pool and finished second to [[Aaron Peirsol]] (who broke the world record) in the 200-meter backstroke.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010409003B000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 200 m backstroke results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104345/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010409003B000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Less than half an hour later, Phelps won the 200-meter individual medley title ahead of [[Ryan Lochte]] by 2.70 seconds.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 184.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010409003D000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104244/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010409003D000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following day, Phelps finished second to [[Ian Crocker]] in the 100-meter butterfly. Crocker won in a time of 50.76, a world record and 0.39 seconds ahead of Phelps.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104090043000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=October 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029205646/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104090043000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> When the Trials were over, Phelps became the first person to qualify in six individual events for a U.S. Olympic team.<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 186.">Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 186.</ref> However, Phelps dropped the 200-meter backstroke to focus on the 200-meter freestyle because he wanted to race [[Ian Thorpe]].<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 186."/> Even though Phelps did not compete in the 100-meter freestyle at the Trials, he was still selected for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. [[Gary Hall, Jr.]] thought this was unfair and said Phelps did not deserve a spot on the relay. Phelps argued his program was too crowded to compete in 100-meter freestyle and was at least among the top four swimmers because he had beaten the top-seeded [[Jason Lezak]] the last time he had swum against him.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 191.</ref>

{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Summer Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 51.25 (OR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:54.04 (OR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:57.14 (OR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]] | 4:08.26 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:07.33 (NR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:30.68 (WR) (Phelps swam in heats only)}}
{{MedalBronze | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]] | 1:45.32 (NR)}}
{{MedalBronze | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:14.62}}
{{MedalBottom}}

====Athens====
In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won his first Olympic gold medal in the world record time of 4:08.26.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060006000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 400 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104835/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060006000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 35.</ref> The following day, Phelps, along with [[Ian Crocker]], [[Neil Walker (swimmer)|Neil Walker]], and Jason Lezak, finished in third place in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with a time of 3:14.62.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406001B000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211111101/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406001B000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 36.</ref> Crocker's lead-off time of 50.05 was the worst among the field and was blamed on sickness.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 202.</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 37.</ref> In the event many were calling ''The Race of the Century'', the 200-meter freestyle that was held the following day, Phelps finished in third place behind [[Ian Thorpe]] and [[Pieter van den Hoogenband]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060020000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104751/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060020000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 38.</ref> Although this race ended the chance to match Spitz's record, Phelps had savored the challenge even though it was not his strongest event, saying "How can I be disappointed? I swam in a field with the two fastest freestylers of all time".<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 204.</ref> In his fourth event, the 200-meter butterfly, held the following day, Phelps won a gold medal with a time of 1:54.04, breaking [[Tom Malchow]]'s Olympic record.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406002C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211111210/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406002C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 39.</ref> About an hour later, in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with [[Ryan Lochte]], [[Peter Vanderkaay]], and [[Klete Keller]], finished in first place with a time of 7:07.33.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060030000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 4×200 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=October 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016014122/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060030000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Two days later, in the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps finished first with a time of 1:57.14, an Olympic record.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060046000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211111159/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060046000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the 100-meter butterfly final, held the following day, Phelps defeated American teammate [[Ian Crocker]] (who held the world record in the event at the time) by just 0.04 seconds with a time of 51.25.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406004E000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104905/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406004E000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Schaller, p. 40">Schaller, p. 40.</ref> Traditionally, the American who places highest in an individual event will be automatically given the corresponding leg in the 4×100-meter medley relay final. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into the medley relay, but he deferred and Crocker swam instead.<ref name="Schaller, p. 40"/><ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 218.">Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 218.</ref> Phelps's gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends (for a mistake at the start of the freestyle relay) as well, getting his final shot at a gold medal.<ref name="Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 218."/> The American medley team went on to win the event in world-record time, and, since Phelps had raced in a preliminary heat of the medley relay, he was also awarded a gold medal along with the team members who competed in the final.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406004C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 4×100 m medley relay results (heats) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211105532/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406004C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060055000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=Games of the XXVIIIth Olympiad – Men's 4×100 m medley relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211105336/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060055000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In winning six gold and two bronze medals, Phelps, still a teenager, had the [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games|second-best performance]] ever at a single Olympics, behind [[Mark Spitz]]'s seven gold medals at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]]. Also, he became the second male swimmer ever to win more than two individual titles at a single Games with four, tying Spitz's four from 1972.

===2005 World championships===
[[File:2005 FINA World Championships - victory lap of the 100 m butterfly.jpg|thumb|left|Victory lap of the 100 m butterfly during the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montréal. Phelps is far right.]]
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships|2005 World Aquatics Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]] | 1:45.20 (NR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:56.68}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:13.77 (CR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:06.58}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:31.85 (Phelps swam in heats only)}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] |51.65}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At the 2005 World Championship Trials, Phelps decided to drop his specialty events, the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly, and experiment with the 400-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 243.</ref> Phelps went on to win the 400-meter freestyle, the 200-meter freestyle, the 100-meter butterfly, the 100-meter freestyle, and the 200-meter individual medley at the Trials.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001050F0008000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championship Trials – Men's 400 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001050F0014000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championship Trials – Men's 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001050F001E000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championship Trials – Men's 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001050F0028000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championship Trials – Men's 100 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001050F002A000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championship Trials – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref>

At the [[2005 World Aquatics Championships]], Phelps won a total of six medals, five golds and one silver.<ref>Schaller, p. 59.</ref> In the 400-meter freestyle, Phelps did not make it past the preliminary heats and finished 18th overall with a time of 3:50.53.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000105090001000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 400 m freestyle results (heats) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> Later that day, in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps won his first gold in the Championships.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000105090010000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> Two days later, on July 26, Phelps won his second gold in the 200-meter freestyle with a new American national record (NR) time of 1:45.20, finishing ahead of [[Grant Hackett]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000105090029000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> Two days later, on July 28, Phelps finished seventh in the 100-meter freestyle final.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010509003E000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 100 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> Later that day, Phelps won his third gold in the 200-meter individual medley.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000105090042000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> On July 29, Phelps, along with [[Ryan Lochte]], [[Peter Vanderkaay]] and [[Klete Keller]], won the gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with a time of 7:06.58. This was the fourth gold medal for Phelps.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000105090054000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 4×200 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> On July 30, Phelps swam in his last individual event, the 100-meter butterfly. In the final, Phelps could not match the speed of [[Ian Crocker]] and had to settle for silver, finishing 51.65 to 50.40, a new world record for Crocker.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010509005D000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> On July 31, Phelps earned his final gold medal when the United States team won the 4×100-meter medley relay.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010509006C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 4×100 m medley relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> Phelps did not swim in the finals but still earned a medal because he swam in the heats.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000105090065000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2005 World Championships – Men's 4×100 m medley relay results (heats) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref>

===2006 Pan Pacific championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:53.80 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:55.84 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]] | 4:10.47 (CR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:12.46 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:05.28 (CR)}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre backstroke|200 m backstroke]] | 1:56.81}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At the 2006 National Championships, Phelps won three events.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 261.</ref> In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a championship record of 1:54.32.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000106070016000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 ConocoPhillips National Championships – Men's 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104452/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000106070016000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In his second event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps just edged out [[Ian Crocker]] 51.51 (another championship record) to 51.73.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000106070020000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 ConocoPhillips National Championships – Men's 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211105445/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000106070020000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In his third event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a time of 1:56.50, just ahead of [[Ryan Lochte]]'s time of 1:56.78.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010607002D000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 ConocoPhillips National Championships – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 3, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211105438/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010607002D000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

At the [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships]] in Victoria, British Columbia, Phelps won five gold medals and one silver.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 264.</ref> In his first event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won in a world record time of 1:53.80, his first world record in two years.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010605000E000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> In his second event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps easily won with a time of 4:10.47, 3.38 seconds ahead of second-place finisher [[Robert Margalis]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010605001C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 400 m individual medley results (final) |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> In his third event, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with [[Ryan Lochte]], [[Peter Vanderkaay]], and [[Klete Keller]], won the gold medal with a time of 7:05.28.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010605001E000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4×200 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> In his fourth event, the 200-meter backstroke, Phelps won the silver medal, finishing behind [[Aaron Peirsol]] 1:56.81 to 1:54.44 (a new world record).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010605002A000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 m backstroke results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> In his fifth event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, along with [[Neil Walker (swimmer)|Neil Walker]], [[Cullen Jones]], and Jason Lezak, won the gold medal with a world-record time 3:12.46.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010605002C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> In his sixth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps won with a world record time of 1:55.84, breaking his record of 1:55.94 set in 2003.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000106050037000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref>

===2007 World championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]] | 1:43.86 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 50.77}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:52.09 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:54.98 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]] | 4:06.22 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:12.72 (CR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:03.24 (WR)}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At the [[2007 World Aquatics Championships]], Phelps won seven gold medals, tying the record for a global long-course championship held by [[Mark Spitz]] since the [[1972 Summer Olympics]], and broke five world records.<ref>Schaller, p. 60.</ref> Phelps first gold medal came in the 4×100-meter freestyle. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.42 seconds and [[Neil Walker (swimmer)|Neil Walker]], [[Cullen Jones]] and Jason Lezak each expanded the lead to win in a Championship record of 3:12.72, just missing the world record of 3:12.46 set the previous year.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D0010000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> His lead-off time was faster than the winning time in the individual 100-meter freestyle final later in the meet. Phelps set his first world record in the Championships in the 200-meter freestyle, his second race. Phelps won the gold ahead of [[Pieter van den Hoogenband]] and broke [[Ian Thorpe]]'s six-year-old world record with a time of 1:43.86.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D0022000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – Men's 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> For his third race, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and bettered his own world record of 1:53.71 with a time of 1:52.09.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D0030000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – Men's 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> For his fourth race, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps set his third world record with a time of 1:54.98, bettering his own world-record time of 1:55.84<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D003C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – Men's 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> For his fifth race, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.36 as the American team of [[Ryan Lochte]], [[Klete Keller]], and [[Peter Vanderkaay]] went on to win the gold medal and beat the previous world record set by Australia in 2001 with a time 7:03.24.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D0052000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – Men's 4×200 m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> For his sixth race, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps edged out [[Ian Crocker]] 50.77 to 50.82 to win his sixth gold medal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D005E000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – Men's 100 m butterfly results (final) |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> For his seventh event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps won the gold medal in a world-record time of 4:06.22, more than 3.5 seconds ahead of [[Ryan Lochte]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D0068000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – Men's 400 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref> By winning seven gold medals, Phelps broke the record of six set by [[Ian Thorpe]] at the [[2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001 World Championships]]. The 4×100-meter medley relay team received a disqualification for a false start during a changeover in the heats, ending Phelps's chance of eight gold medals.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D0065000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=12th FINA World Championships – 4×100 m medley relay results (heats) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref>

Even though Phelps competed in the backstroke in international competition only once (at the [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Pan Pacific Championships]]), he was among the best backstroke swimmers in the world. This is illustrated by his personal best times set in 2007, four months after the World Championships. At the [[United States Swimming National Championships|US Nationals]] in [[Indianapolis]] on August 1, 2007, Phelps swam a 1:54.65 in the 200-meter backstroke, which was the third fastest of all time in the event, 0.33 of a second off the world record of 1:54.32 held by [[Ryan Lochte]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/58786eab-e330-47a6-8f18-e50e65be34db/men200mbackf.htm |title=Men 200 LC Meter Backstroke |publisher=[[USA Swimming]] |access-date=August 4, 2016 |archive-date=August 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815051740/http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/58786eab-e330-47a6-8f18-e50e65be34db/men200mbackf.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Two days later Phelps swam a time of 53.01 sec in the 100-meter backstroke, 0.03 of a second short of the world record of 52.98 held by [[Aaron Peirsol]] and the second-fastest performance of all time.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/08/04/swim.phelps.reut/index.html?eref=edition_sport |title=Phelps grabs two titles in an hour |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref>
In 2007 Phelps swam into the all-time top three performances in seven individual events, four of these being world records.

===2008 Summer Olympics===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Summer Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]] | 1:42.96 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 50.58 (OR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:52.03 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:54.23 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]] | 4:03.84 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:08.24 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 6:58.56 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:29.34 (WR)}}
{{MedalBottom}}

====Trials====
At the [[2008 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)|2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials]], Phelps competed in six individual events. In his first event, the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 4:06.22 with a time of 4:05.25.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080B0005000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – 400 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> In his second event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.10, ahead of [[Peter Vanderkaay]]'s time 1:45.85.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080B001C000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> In his third event, the 100-meter freestyle, Phelps placed second in his heat with a time of 47.92, ensuring him a spot on the relay.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080B0022000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – 100 m freestyle results (heats) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> In his fourth event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 1:52.20.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080B0028000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> In his fifth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps broke his own world record of 1:54.98 with a time of 1:54.80.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080B0040000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> In his sixth and final event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a time of 50.89.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080B0046000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> When asked about his chances of winning eight gold medals in Beijing, Phelps said, "I am going to prepare for that meet just like I do every other meet ... There is only so much I can do in a month and then I am going to prepare myself the best that I can."<ref>Schaller, p. 83.</ref>

====Beijing====
Phelps set an [[Olympic record]] in the preliminary heats of the 400-meter individual medley.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 45.</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 117.</ref> He followed that up in the final by winning the gold medal, as well as breaking his previous world record by nearly two seconds.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 52.</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 129.</ref> This swim went on to become the longest men's world record to stand in long course meters, beating Germany's Otto Farr who held the 100 backstroke world record from 1912 until 1926.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://swimswam.com/phelpss-400-im-lcm-becomes-second-longest-mens-world-record-ever-today/|title=Phelps' 400 IM LCM becomes Second-Longest Men's World Record Ever Today|date=January 31, 2022|website=Swimswam.com|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>

Phelps swam the first leg of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in a time of 47.51 seconds (an American record for the 100-meter freestyle), and won his second gold medal of the 2008 Olympics, as well as setting his second world record of the Olympics (3:08.24).<ref>Schaller, p. 145.</ref> Teammate Jason Lezak, after beginning the anchor leg more than half a body length behind [[Alain Bernard]], managed to finish ahead of the favored French swimmer by eight hundredths of a second. The top five teams in the final finished ahead of the world record of 3:12.23 set the previous day by the American B team in a preliminary heat.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 97.</ref> Phelps remarked that Bernard's pre-race comments of "smashing the Americans" had "fired me up more than anything else". ''Le Nouvel Observateur'' noted "Phelps taking the time to applaud and console Bernard" and wrote that this sportsmanship was "proof that the person who swims in the wake of Mark Spitz is also a great gentleman."<ref>Klein, Jeff Z., [http://beijing2008.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/what-the-world-is-saying-in-france-a-bitter-defeat-yes-but-no-mention-of-freedom-fries/?_r=0 "What the World Is Saying: In France, a Bitter Defeat, but No Mention of Freedom Fries"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211105851/https://beijing2008.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/what-the-world-is-saying-in-france-a-bitter-defeat-yes-but-no-mention-of-freedom-fries/?_r=0 |date=February 11, 2017 }}. ''The New York Times'', August 11, 2008.</ref>

For his third race, Phelps broke his previous world record in the 200-meter freestyle by nearly a second and won his third gold medal. He also set his third world record at the Olympics, 1:42.96, winning by nearly two seconds over silver medalist [[Park Tae-hwan]].<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 129.</ref> In this race, Phelps became the fifth Olympic athlete in modern history to win nine gold medals, joining [[Mark Spitz]], [[Larisa Latynina]], [[Paavo Nurmi]], and [[Carl Lewis]].<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 130.</ref>
[[File:Michael Phelps Ryan Lochte Laszlo Cseh medals 2008 Olympics.jpg|thumb|Phelps holds his gold medal on the podium on August 10, 2008. Pictured with [[Ryan Lochte]] and [[László Cseh]].]]
The next day, Phelps participated in two finals. In his first event, the [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200-meter butterfly]], Phelps made it four gold medals and world records in four events by swimming the final in 1:52.03, defeating silver medalist [[László Cseh]] by almost seven-tenths of a second despite his goggles' having filled up with water and being unable to "see anything for the last 100 meters.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 151.</ref> This fourth gold medal was his tenth, and made him the all-time leader for most Olympic gold medals won by an individual in the modern Olympic era.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 152.</ref> Moreover, Phelps became the first swimmer, male or female, to win three Olympic butterfly titles, after his two titles in the Athens 2004 Olympics. He also became the first swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic butterfly title.

Less than one hour after his gold medal victory in the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps swam the lead-off leg of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. With Lochte, [[Ricky Berens]], and [[Peter Vanderkaay]], he won his fifth gold and set his fifth world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Melbourne, Australia, by more than four and a half seconds.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 176.</ref>

After taking a day off from finals (Phelps did swim in qualifying heats), Phelps won his sixth gold of the Beijing Games on August 15 by winning the 200-meter individual medley with a world record time of 1:54.23, finishing ahead of Cseh by over two seconds.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 184.</ref>

=====Seventh gold medal=====
[[File:Phelps4x100.jpg|thumb|left|Phelps ''(in black cap)'' starting the 4 x 100m relay at the Beijing Olympic Games, August 11, 2008]]
Before the final of the 100-meter butterfly, US born Serbian swimmer [[Milorad Čavić]] caused a minor stir when he said it would be "good" if Phelps lost. "It'd be good for him if he loses. It would be nice if historians talk about Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals and losing the eighth to 'some guy.' I'd like to be that guy", Čavić said.<ref>Schaller, p. 174.</ref> Phelps responded, "When people say things like that, it fires me up more than anything."<ref>Schaller, p. 183.</ref> On August 16, Phelps won his seventh gold medal of the Games in the men's 100-meter butterfly, setting an Olympic record for the event with a time of 50.58 seconds and edging out his nearest competitor Čavić, by one hundredth (0.01) of a second.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 206.</ref>

Unlike all six of his previous events in the 2008 Games, Phelps did not set a new world record, leaving intact [[Ian Crocker]]'s world-record time of 50.40 seconds, set in 2005.

Phelps's finish 0.01 seconds ahead of Čavić prompted the Serbian delegation to file a protest. Subsequent analysis of the video by the [[International Swimming Federation|FINA]] panel, which required analyzing frames shot 1/10,000th of a second apart, was used to officially confirm Phelps's victory,<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 207.</ref> but the images were not immediately released to the press. The initial refusal by official timekeeper Omega to release underwater photos of the finish also raised questions due to Phelps's sponsorship relationship with Omega.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=By Withholding Photos, Olympic Timekeeper Draws Attention to Relationship With Phelps |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/sports/olympics/21longman.html |work=The New York Times |date=August 20, 2008 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |first=Jeré |last=Longman}}</ref> Čavić later wrote in his blog, "People, this is the greatest moment of my life. If you ask me, it should be accepted and we should move on. I've accepted defeat, and there's nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Cavic Finds a Personal Triumph in the Narrowest of Defeats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/sports/olympics/17cavic.html |work=The New York Times |date=August 16, 2008 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |first=Christopher |last=Clarey}}</ref>

{{Quote box |align = right |width = 30em
|quote  = 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.
|author = [[Mark Spitz]] (2008), on Phelps winning his 7th gold medal.<ref>Schaller, p. 197.</ref>
}}

Phelps's seventh gold medal of the Games tied [[Mark Spitz]]'s [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games|record]] for gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, set in the 1972 Olympics. It was also his fifth individual gold medal in Beijing, tying the [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games#List of most individual gold medals won at a single Olympic Games|record]] for individual gold medals at a single Games originally set by [[Eric Heiden]] in the 1980 Winter Olympics and equaled by [[Vitaly Scherbo]] at the 1992 Summer Games. Said Phelps upon setting his seventh-straight Olympic record of the Games in as many events, "Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible ... I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phenomenal Phelps wins 7th gold by 0.01 seconds to tie Spitz |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/swimming/news/story?id=3537831 |access-date=August 1, 2012 |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=August 16, 2008}}</ref>
[[File:Michael Phelps wins 8th gold medal.jpg|thumb|Michael Phelps celebrates with his teammates after winning his 8th gold medal.]]

=====All-time record=====
On August 17, Phelps won his eighth gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay, breaking [[Mark Spitz]]'s record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic Games, which had stood since 1972.<ref name="Phelps, No Limits, p. 218">Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 218.</ref> Phelps, along with teammates [[Brendan Hansen]], [[Aaron Peirsol]], and Jason Lezak, set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds, 0.7 seconds ahead of second-place Australia and 1.34 seconds faster than the previous record set by the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. When Phelps dived in to swim the 100-meter butterfly leg, the third leg of the 400-meter medley, the United States had been trailing Australia and Japan. Phelps completed his split in 50.1 seconds, the fastest butterfly split ever for the event, giving teammate Jason Lezak a more than half-second lead for the final leg, which he held onto to clinch the event in world record time.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|magazine |title=Phelps claims Olympic-record eighth gold medal with relay win |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/16/bc.oly.swm.phelps.medley.relay.ap/ |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=August 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412041039/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/16/bc.oly.swm.phelps.medley.relay.ap/ |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Said Phelps, upon completing the event that awarded him his eighth gold medal and eighth Olympic record in as many events, "Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are ... Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps wins historic eighth gold medal |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/08/17/phelps.history.eight.golds/ |work=CNN|date=August 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412034403/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/08/17/phelps.history.eight.golds/ |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Performance-enhancing drugs testing====
During the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was questioned by the press as to whether perhaps his feats were "too good to be true", a reference to unsupported rumors that Phelps might be taking [[performance-enhancing substance]]s.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 185.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=I'm clean, says history making Phelps |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_i-m-clean-says-history-making-phelps_1183542 |work=Daily News and Analysis |location=India |date=August 15, 2008 |access-date=June 21, 2010}}</ref> In response, Phelps noted that he had signed up for ''Project Believe'', a project by the [[United States Anti-Doping Agency]] in which U.S. Olympians can volunteer to be tested in excess of the [[World Anti-Doping Agency]] guidelines.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lord |first=Craig |date=June 25, 2024 |title=Michael Phelps shrugs off question of drugs |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/michael-phelps-shrugs-off-question-of-drugs-2t8vl89hp70 |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 25, 2024 |website=[[The Times]]|place=Beijing |language=en}}</ref> During the Games, Phelps passed all nine tests that were administered to him.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|title=Phelps deals with doping questions |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/archives/article704542.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822053818/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/archives/article704542.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 22, 2009 |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Canada |author=Allan Maki |date=August 15, 2008 |access-date=June 21, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=So Far, Drug Testing Has Revealed Only a Few Positives |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/sports/olympics/16doping.html |work=The New York Times |author=Gina Kolata |date=August 15, 2008 |access-date=June 21, 2010}}</ref>

===2009 World championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 49.82 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:51.51 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:09.21 (CR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 6:58.55 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:27.28 (WR)}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]] | 1:43.22}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At the 2009 National Championships, Phelps drastically shortened his program, swimming in only three individual events. In his first event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won with a time of 1:44.23.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001090E0015000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2009 National Championships – 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> In his second event, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps easily won with a time of 1:52.76, 0.88 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001090E0018000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2009 National Championships – 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> In his third event, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won with a world-record time of 50.22.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001090E0022000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2009 National Championships – 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Michael Phelps before the start of the 200m butterfly semi-final - 2009 FINA World Championships.jpg|thumb|left|Phelps (center) before the start of the 200-meter butterfly semi-final during 2009 FINA World Championships]]
At the [[2009 World Aquatics Championships]], Phelps won a total of 6 medals, 5 golds and 1 silver. In his first event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 47.78, well off his 47.51 performance in Beijing, but the American team was able to edge out Russia and France for the gold.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=World Records Fall in Swimming, and It's Only Day 1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/sports/27swim.html |work=The New York Times |author=Karen Crouse |date=July 27, 2009 |access-date=August 5, 2009}}</ref> For his second race, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps lost his first race in four years to Germany's [[Paul Biedermann]]. Phelps touched second in 1:43.22, but Biedermann smashed Phelps's record of 1:42.96 set in Beijing a year ago with a time of 1:42.00.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001090B0022000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2009 World Championships – 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> Phelps took the silver graciously, but coach [[Bob Bowman (coach)|Bob Bowman]] threatened to withdraw Phelps from international competition because Bowman claimed Biedermann had an unfair advantage because he was wearing a full [[polyurethane]] [[swimsuit]], specifically an [[Arena X-Glide]].<ref name="Distillations">{{#invoke:Cite|journal|last1=Roberts|first1=Jacob |title=Winning Skin |journal=Distillations |date=2017|volume=2|issue=4|pages=8–15|url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/winning-skin|access-date=March 22, 2018}}</ref>
Bowman said, "It took me five years to get Michael from 1:46 to 1:42 and this guy has done it in 11 months. That's an amazing training performance. I'd like to know how to do that."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Coach threatens to pull Phelps |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=4360589 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=July 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731215829/http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=4360589 |archive-date=July 31, 2009 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Phelps rebounded from this loss and for his third race, the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and broke his own world record of 1:52.03 with a time of 1:51.51.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|magazine |title=Phelps bounces back from loss with record in 200-meter butterfly |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/brian_cazeneuve/07/29/phelps/ |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=July 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412041532/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/brian_cazeneuve/07/29/phelps/ |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For his fourth race, the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:44.49 as the team went on to win the gold medal and break the world record set the previous year.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=U.S. seals men's 4x200 relay title in record time |url=http://theusdaily.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=811304&type=home |work=The US Daily |author=Matt Daily and Braden Reddall |date=July 31, 2009 |access-date=August 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717040843/http://theusdaily.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=811304&type=home |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After his loss in the 200-meter freestyle, many thought Phelps was vulnerable coming into the final for the 100-meter butterfly.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps refrains from adding to the fire |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/phelps-refrains-adding-fire-2881392/ |publisher=Television New Zealand |agency=Reuters |date=July 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614091622/http://tvnz.co.nz/othersports-news/phelps-refrains-adding-fire-2881392 |archive-date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His closest competitor, [[Milorad Čavić]], who wore an Arena X-Glide (the same suit Biedermann beat Phelps with), thought people were making excuses for Phelps because he was wearing an [[LZR Racer]]. Čavić even offered to buy Phelps a new suit.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Cavic: I'll buy Phelps new suit |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=4368336 |work=ESPN |date=July 31, 2009 |access-date=June 22, 2010}}</ref> For his fifth race, the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won the gold and became the first man to complete it in under 50 seconds, beating Čavić 49.82 to 49.95.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps goes under 50 seconds in 100m butterfly |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0803/1224251928081.html |newspaper=The Irish Times |author=John Kenny |date=August 3, 2009 |access-date=August 5, 2009}}</ref> The victory prompted a fierce celebration from Phelps.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps savours triumph over rival Cavic |url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/phelps-savours-triumph-over-rival-cavic-20090802-e5eb.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author=Rebecca Bryan |date=August 2, 2009 |access-date=June 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606133326/http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/phelps-savours-triumph-over-rival-cavic-20090802-e5eb.html |archive-date=June 6, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For his final event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Phelps won his fifth gold medal. Phelps, along with teammates [[Aaron Peirsol]], [[Eric Shanteau]], and [[David Walters (swimmer)|David Walters]], set a new world record in the event with a time of 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps Leaves Rome With Another Gold |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/sports/03swim.html |work=The New York Times |author=Karen Crouse |date=August 2, 2009 |access-date=August 5, 2009}}</ref>

===2010 Pan Pacific championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2010 Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 50.86}}
{{MedalGold | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:54.11}}
{{MedalGold | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:11.74}}
{{MedalGold | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:03.84}}
{{MedalGold | [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:32.48}}
{{MedalBottom}}

At the [[2010 USA Swimming Championships|2010 National Championships]], Phelps competed in five individual events. In the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won ahead of [[Ryan Lochte]] in a time of 1:45.61.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A110016000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships – 200 m freestyle results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> About an hour later, Phelps returned to the pool to win the 200-meter butterfly.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A110019000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships – 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> But Phelps was not happy with his performance and called it the "worst" 200-meter butterfly of his life. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won his 50th national title in 50.65.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A110022000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships – 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> After the race, Phelps said he was "fairly pleased" with the result.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=No surprises -Phelps takes gold |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/SPMT1EPK99.DTL |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |date=August 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120917220052/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/SPMT1EPK99.DTL |archive-date=September 17, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Michael Phelps 'fairly pleased' after making history at US nationals |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/aug/06/michael-phelps-us-nationals-100m-butterfly |work=The Guardian |date=August 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816035928/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/aug/06/michael-phelps-us-nationals-100m-butterfly |archive-date=August 16, 2010 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |location=London |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps finished second to Lochte 1:55.94 to 1:54.84.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A11002F000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships – 200 m individual medley results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> It was the first time Lochte had beat Phelps in a major national meet.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Ryan Lochte upsets Michael Phelps at national swimming championships |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/06/sports/la-sp-national-swimming-20100807 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 6, 2010 |access-date=August 9, 2010 |first=Lisa |last=Dillman}}</ref> In the 200-meter backstroke, Phelps finished in 4th place in 1:56.98.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A11003A000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships – 200 m backstroke results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>

On the first day of competition at the [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships]], Phelps opted out swimming in the final of the 200-meter freestyle to focus on the 200-meter butterfly. In the 200-meter butterfly, Phelps led from start to finish, coming in first with a time of 1:54.11. Although it was much slower than his 1:51.51 time from the previous year, Phelps had not lost a 200-meter butterfly final since 2002.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0011000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – 200 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps extends dominance in 200 fly at Pan Pacs |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gRdGMzTqPfw-5pdKxhGzXd7YkW_gD9HMAF1G0 |agency=Associated Press |date=August 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525001507/https://www.webcitation.org/5s5gsNxKs?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gRdGMzTqPfw-5pdKxhGzXd7YkW_gD9HMAF1G0 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |access-date=August 18, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On day two of the competition, Phelps swam in the heats of the 400-meter individual medley and contributed in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. In the heats of the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps failed to make the A final, with Lochte and [[Tyler Clary]] taking the top two American positions.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0019000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – 400 m individual medley results (heats) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104227/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0019000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Phelps did not swim in the B final of the 400-meter individual medley. In the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, with [[Peter Vanderkaay]], [[Ricky Berens]], and Lochte, finished first ahead of Japan and Australia.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0027000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – 4×200&nbsp;m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924125827/http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0027000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On day three of the competition, Phelps competed in the 100-meter butterfly and contributed in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps finished first in a time of 50.86, a championship record.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0033000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – 100 m butterfly results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211111108/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0033000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps, with Lochte, [[Jason Lezak]], and [[Nathan Adrian]], finished first ahead of Australia and South Africa. As the lead-off leg in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps set the [[List of Pan Pacific Championships records in swimming|championship record]] in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 48.13.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0039000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – 4×100&nbsp;m freestyle relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211110618/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B0039000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In his final event, Phelps swam in the 4×100-meter medley relay with [[Aaron Peirsol]], [[Mark Gangloff]], and Adrian and finished first ahead of Japan and Australia.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B004B000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |title=2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – 4×100&nbsp;m medley relay results (final) |publisher=Omega Timing |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211104659/http://omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010A0B004B000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2011 World championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships|2011 World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 50.71}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:53.34}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:02.67}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:32.06}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]] | 1:44.79}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:54.16}}
{{MedalBronze | [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:11.96}}
{{MedalBottom}}

In his first event at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Phelps won bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay with [[Garrett Weber-Gale]], Jason Lezak, and [[Nathan Adrian]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|title=FINA World Championships, Swimming: Australia Stuns France, U.S. For Men's 400 Free Relay Triumph; Two New Textile Bests |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/27647.asp?q=FINA-World-Championships,-Swimming:--Australia-Stuns-France,-U.S.-For-Men's-400-Free-Relay-Triumph;-Two-New-Textile-Bests |work=Swimming World |date=July 24, 2011 |access-date=July 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114045304/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/27647.asp?q=FINA-World-Championships%2C-Swimming%3A--Australia-Stuns-France%2C-U.S.-For-Men%27s-400-Free-Relay-Triumph%3B-Two-New-Textile-Bests |archive-date=November 14, 2012}}</ref> This was Phelps's first bronze in a [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Aquatics Championships]]. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 48.08, the second-best lead-off in the field behind [[James Magnussen]]'s 47.49. In his second event, the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps won silver for the second consecutive time at a World Aquatics Championships. This time he finished second to [[Ryan Lochte]] in the event with a time of 1:44.79, compared to Lochte's time of 1:44.44.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=FINA World Championships, Swimming: Ryan Lochte Bests Michael Phelps For 200 Free Gold |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/fina-world-championships-swimming-ryan-lochte-bests-michael-phelps-for-200-free-gold/ |work=Swimming World |date=July 26, 2011 |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> In his third final, the 200-meter butterfly, he won his first gold medal with a time of 1:53.34 to become the first swimmer to win five gold medals in one discipline at the World Aquatics Championships.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=FINA World Championships, Swimming: Michael Phelps Closes Out Takeshi Matsuda for Gold Medal |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/fina-world-championships-swimming-michael-phelps-closes-out-takeshi-matsuda-for-gold-medal/ |work=Swimming World |date=July 27, 2011 |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref>

In his fourth event, the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps again finished second to Lochte in a personal best of 1:54.16, which was 0.16 behind Lochte who swam a new world record.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=FINA World Championships, Swimming: Ryan Lochte Sets First Post Techsuit-Era World Record |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/flash-fina-world-championships-swimming-ryan-lochte-sets-first-long-course-post-techsuit-era-world-record-video-included/ |work=Swimming World |date=July 28, 2011 |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> It was Phelps's 30th medal in the World Aquatics Championships. Shortly after completing the semi-finals of the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps competed in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with [[Peter Vanderkaay]], [[Ricky Berens]], and [[Ryan Lochte]]. Phelps's team won the gold medal in a time of 7:02.67. Phelps swam the lead-off leg in 1:45.53, the third-best leg in the field.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|title=FINA World Championships, Swimming: Ryan Lochte's Monster Anchor Leg Secures United States Victory in 800 Free Relay |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/27740.asp?q=FINA-World-Championships,-Swimming:-Ryan-Lochte's-Monster-Anchor-Leg-Secures-United-States-Victory-in-800-Free-Relay |work=Swimming World |date=July 29, 2011 |access-date=July 29, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114045257/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/27740.asp?q=FINA-World-Championships%2C-Swimming%3A-Ryan-Lochte%27s-Monster-Anchor-Leg-Secures-United-States-Victory-in-800-Free-Relay |archive-date=November 14, 2012}}</ref> In the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps won his third consecutive title (also winning in 2007 and 2009) and second individual title of the meet with a time of 50.71.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=FINA World Championships, Swimming: Michael Phelps Threepeats 100 Fly |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/fina-world-championships-swimming-michael-phelps-threepeats-100-fly/ |work=Swimming World |date=July 30, 2011 |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> In his last event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Phelps teamed with [[Nick Thoman]], [[Mark Gangloff]], and [[Nathan Adrian]] to win gold in a time of 3:32.06. Phelps's butterfly leg of 50.57 was by far the fastest butterfly leg in the field.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=FINA World Championships, Swimming: United States Edges Australia for 400 Medley Relay Win |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/fina-world-championships-swimming-united-states-edges-australia-for-400-medley-relay-win/ |work=Swimming World |date=July 31, 2011 |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref>

===2012 Summer Olympics===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Summer Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 51.21}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:54.27}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 6:59.70}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:29.35}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:53.01}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:10.38}}
{{MedalBottom}}

====Trials====
For the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London, Phelps originally stated he would never do eight events again, and would instead try new events. Phelps said, "I keep saying I want to go down and start sprinting, but Bob [Bowman, Phelps's coach] really isn't so keen on that ... I don't think that's going to happen ... Over the next four years, I'd like to try some different events, maybe not do some of the events I did here."<ref>Schaller, p.228.</ref><ref>Schaller, p. 229.</ref> However, at the [[2012 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)|2012 United States Olympic Trials]], the qualifying meet for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Phelps qualified in the same eight events that he swam in Beijing in 2008. He later dropped the 200-meter freestyle from his program, as he stated he wanted to focus on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.<ref name="sports.yahoo.com">{{#invoke:Cite|web |author=Paul Newberry |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/phelps-locks-another-8-race-program-london-003227591--oly.html |title=Phelps locks up another 8-race program in London – Yahoo! Sports |publisher=Yahoo! |date=July 2, 2012 |access-date=November 15, 2016 |archive-date=November 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116022232/https://www.yahoo.com/news/phelps-locks-another-8-race-program-london-003227591--oly.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the trials, Phelps finished first in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, and second in the 400-meter individual medley. In making his fourth Olympic team, Phelps holds the record for men for the most Olympic appearances in swimming representing the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |last=Powers |first=John |title=Michael Phelps earns expected Olympic berth |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/06/26/phelps-dives-right-earns-expected-berth/AcDM1AfTkPeBy5tcGUeHiL/story.html |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=June 26, 2012}}</ref>

====London====
[[File:London 2012 100m butterfly heats.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|right|In his [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100m butterfly heat]], Phelps (fourth from top) was 8th at the 50m split before winning his heat and qualifying for the semi-finals]]
On July 28, 2012, Phelps placed eighth in the morning prelims for the 400-meter individual medley. Phelps, the two-time defending Olympic champion, won his heat in 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds with a time that was well off his world record of 4:03.84 set four years earlier in Beijing, when Phelps won a record eight gold medals. He out-touched [[László Cseh]] by 0.07 seconds in his [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley#Heats|heat]] to qualify last for the final, locking out Cseh. In his first finals of the Summer Olympics, Phelps placed fourth behind fellow American [[Ryan Lochte]], [[Thiago Pereira]] of Brazil, and [[Kosuke Hagino]] of Japan in the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400-meter individual medley]]. It was the first time Phelps failed to medal in an Olympic event since 2000.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18910454 |title=Ryan Lochte wins medley gold as Michael Phelps finishes fourth |date=July 29, 2012 |access-date=July 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108034421/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18910454 |archive-date=November 8, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The next night, in his second event of the Games, he got a silver as a member of the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100-meter free relay]]. Phelps swam the fastest leg of the US relay team and the second-fastest of anyone in the race.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|magazine |last=Layden |first=Tim |title=Phelps, U.S. fail to recreate Beijing magic, drop to silver in 400 relay |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/tim_layden/07/29/france-us-400-relay-olympics/index.html |date=July 29, 2012 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=July 29, 2012}}</ref>

On July 31, 2012, Phelps won a silver medal in the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200-meter butterfly]] behind South African [[Chad le Clos]] by 5/100ths of a second, and a gold medal in the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200-meter freestyle relay]], thereby equaling and then surpassing [[Larisa Latynina]] to become the [[List of multiple Olympic medalists|all-time record holder]] for most Olympic medals won.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title='Fab Five' brings home gymnastics gold |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/31/sport/olympics-day-wrap/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 |work=CNN|access-date=August 1, 2012 |date=August 1, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Michael Phelps breaks record by reaching 19 Olympic medals in London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/01/michael-phelps-19-olympic-medals-london |work=The Guardian |access-date=August 1, 2012 |first=Owen |last=Gibson |date=August 1, 2012}}</ref> Latynina was present at the race and asked the [[International Olympic Committee]] to be the presenter of Phelps's medal, but was told that Olympic rules would not allow it. She called Phelps deserving of the record.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Longman |first=Jeré |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/sports/olympics/gymnast-larisa-latynina-is-elegant-reminder-of-olympics-history.html |title=Phelps Tops Another Olympian, but at 77, She Grins |date=July 31, 2012 |page=A1 |access-date=August 1, 2012 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

On August 2, 2012, Phelps won his 16th Olympic gold medal when he edged out Ryan Lochte to win the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metre individual medley|200-meter individual medley]] with a time of 1:54.27, and by that victory also became the first male swimmer to win the same event in three consecutive Olympics.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web | title = Michael Phelps wins 16th career gold | url = http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/swimming/story/_/id/8227208/2012-summer-olympics-michael-phelps-outduels-ryan-lochte-take-gold-200-im-20th-medal | publisher = ESPN | date = August 3, 2012 | access-date = August 3, 2012 | archive-date = July 10, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160710011446/http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/swimming/story/_/id/8227208/2012-summer-olympics-michael-phelps-outduels-ryan-lochte-take-gold-200-im-20th-medal | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Rebecca Soni]] and Phelps (twice) are the only swimmers to successfully defend an individual title from the 2008 Games.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Crouse |first=Karen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/sports/olympics/soni-first-repeat-winner-in-swimming-franklin.html |title=Soni Sets World Record to Win 200 Breaststroke |date=August 2, 2012 |page=A1 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> This win also marked Phelps's fifth Olympic title in the individual medley, breaking the record of four shared by Hungarian [[Tamás Darnyi]] and Ukrainian [[Yana Klochkova]].

He repeated the achievement of winning the same event at three Olympics the following evening, winning the Olympic gold medal in the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]], his last individual event.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Zaccardi |first=Nick |title=Phelps surges toward exit as Franklin, Ledeckey rise to stardom |url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/2012/08/03/michael-phelps-olympics-swimming |work=London 2012 |publisher=cnnsi.com |date=August 3, 2012 |access-date=August 3, 2012}}</ref> After two very close victories in the 100 m butterfly at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics (by 0.04 and 0.01 sec, respectively), in this race Phelps beat Le Clos and [[Yevgeny Korotyshkin]], who tied for silver, by 0.23 sec.

Phelps's final event was the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100-meter medley relay]] in which he went on to win his 18th career gold medal and his 22nd overall. By winning 4 gold and 2 silver medals, Phelps concluded the 2012 Olympics as the most successful swimmer of the meet for the third Olympics in a row.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=2012 London Olympics: Michael Phelps Leads All Swimmers With Six Medals |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/World/31591.asp?q=2012-London-Olympics:-Michael-Phelps-Leads-All-Swimmers-With-Six-Medals |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203075830/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/World/31591.asp?q=2012-London-Olympics:-Michael-Phelps-Leads-All-Swimmers-With-Six-Medals |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2013 |access-date=August 4, 2012 |newspaper=Swimming World |date=August 5, 2012}}</ref><ref name=number1>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Almond |first=Elliott |title=Olympics: Michael Phelps shows once more why he's the gold standard in swimming |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_21231419/olympics-michael-phelps-shows-once-more-why-hes |access-date=August 4, 2012 |newspaper=Mercury News |date=August 3, 2012}}</ref>
After his last event, the international swimming federation [[FINA]] honored Phelps with an award commemorating his standing as the most decorated Olympian ever.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Phelps ends career with gold in medley relay |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/08/04/phelps-medley-relay-gold.ap/index.html |access-date=August 4, 2012 |newspaper=Sports Illustrated |date=August 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805063454/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/08/04/phelps-medley-relay-gold.ap/index.html|archive-date=5 August 2012|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

After the 2012 Olympics, Phelps retired from swimming, stating: "I'm done. I'm finished. I'm retired. I'm done. No more," and that "I just wanted to be done with swimming and didn't want anything to do with the sport anymore."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last1=Bruner |first1=Raisa |title=All the Times Michael Phelps Has Totally Insisted He's Going to Retire |url=http://time.com/4452285/rio-2016-olympics-michael-phelps-retirement/ |access-date=August 17, 2016 |agency=Time |date=August 15, 2016}}</ref>

===2014 comeback from retirement===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2014 Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 51.29}}
{{MedalGold | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:05.17}}
{{MedalGold | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:29.94 (CR)}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:56.04}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:13.36}}
{{MedalBottom}}
In April 2014, Phelps announced he would come out of retirement, and would enter an event later that month.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|citation|url=http://6abc.com/archive/9503243/ |title=Olympic Great Michael Phelps Ending Retirement |access-date=April 14, 2014 |last=Harris |first=Beth |date=April 14, 2014 |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> In May 2014, he won the 100-meter butterfly event at the Arena Grand Prix in Charlotte, North Carolina.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Goldberg |first=Rob |date=May 16, 2014 |title=Michael Phelps at Charlotte Grand Prix 2014: Race Results and Twitter Reaction |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2066104-michael-phelps-at-charlotte-grand-prix-2014-race-results-and-twitter-reaction |newspaper=[[Bleacher Report]] |access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref> Phelps was reportedly motivated by the national team's failure to win the men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay since their [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|Beijing 2008]] and [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|Rome 2009]] titles.<ref>Forde, Pat. [https://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-story-of-how-michael-phelps-and-the-best-turn-ever-done-made-olympic-magic-065358629.html "The story of how Michael Phelps and 'the best turn ever done' made Olympic magic"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921113008/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-story-of-how-michael-phelps-and-the-best-turn-ever-done-made-olympic-magic-065358629.html |date=September 21, 2016 }}, yahoosports.com. August 8, 2016.</ref><ref name="nbcolympics.com1">{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/posnanski-2016-likely-be-michael-phelps-favorite-olympic-games|title=Posnanski: 2016 likely to be Michael Phelps' favorite Olympic Games|access-date=August 15, 2016|archive-date=August 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826235137/http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/posnanski-2016-likely-be-michael-phelps-favorite-olympic-games|url-status=dead}}</ref> The relationship between Phelps and coach Bob Bowman had deteriorated in the preparations for London 2012, so Phelps convinced a skeptical Bowman that he "wasn't training for history. He wasn't training for the medals. He wasn't even training for all the fans. This time Phelps wanted to swim for himself...and enjoy the journey".<ref name="nbcolympics.com1"/> Since his returning from retirement in 2014, Phelps "scaled back his calorie intake" and "increased his postswim ice baths". By the 2016 Olympic Trials, despite his age Phelps "felt physically stronger in the water, perhaps because of drills Bowman added to his pool workouts, like multiple repeats of 40 seconds of dolphin kicking while hugging a 10-pound weight to his chest".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/sports/olympics/michael-phelps-swimming-rehab.html|title=Seeking Answers, Michael Phelps Finds Himself|first=Karen|last=Crouse|newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 24, 2016}}</ref>

===2015 US Nationals===
After having been dropped from the team for the [[2015 World Aquatics Championships]] for a [[DUI]], Phelps instead competed in the [[United States Swimming National Championships|US National Championships]] (long course) in San Antonio as his target meet of the summer. He won gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly (50.45 s),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Men's 100-meter butterfly Final |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010F020B00030D02FFFFFFFFFFFF02 |newspaper=Omega Timing |date=August 8, 2015}}</ref> 200-meter butterfly (1:52.94),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Men's 200-meter butterfly Final |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010F020B00030E02FFFFFFFFFFFF02 |newspaper=Omega Timing |date=August 7, 2015}}</ref> and the 200-meter individual medley (1:54.75).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Men's 200-meter Individual Medley Final |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010F020B00041002FFFFFFFFFFFF02 |newspaper=Omega Timing |date=August 9, 2015}}</ref> In each of these events he swam the fastest time in the world for 2015.

In December 2015 at the Winter Nationals in [[Federal Way, Washington|Federal Way]], Phelps won titles in the same three events, again in long course, bringing his career total to 62 national titles.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.swimvortex.com/with-156-11-outing-in-200-fly-michael-phelps-grabs-third-title-of-winter-nationals/ |title=With 1:56.11 Outing in 200 Fly, Michael Phelps Grabs Third Title of Winter Nationals |first1=John |last1=Lohn |date=December 6, 2015 |publisher=Swimvortex |access-date=December 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151212081041/http://www.swimvortex.com/with-156-11-outing-in-200-fly-michael-phelps-grabs-third-title-of-winter-nationals/ |archive-date=December 12, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2016 Summer Olympics===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Summer Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metre butterfly|200 m butterfly]] | 1:53.36 }}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m medley]] | 1:54.66}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:09.92}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:00.66}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:27.95 (OR)}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] | 51.14}}
{{MedalBottom}}

====Trials====
At the [[2016 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)|US trials]] in Omaha for the [[2016 Summer Olympics]], Phelps won the 200 m butterfly (1:54.84), the 200 m individual medley (1:55.91), and the 100 m butterfly (51.00 s) events. This made him the first American male swimmer, and the second American swimmer overall after [[Dara Torres]], to qualify for a fifth Olympics.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/phelps-makes-fifth-olympic-team/ |title=Michael Phelps makes fifth Olympic Team |first1=Hannah |last1=Hecht |date=June 29, 2016 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=June 30, 2016}}</ref> Phelps's 100 m freestyle times at the Trials were not impressive. However at a final training camp in Atlanta a week before heading to Rio, Phelps put out "the fourth-fastest flat-start time of the year" in a 100 free time trial, automatically securing one of the seven spots on the Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay for the Olympics.<ref name="thestar.com">{{#invoke:Cite|news|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/2016/08/08/can-extraterrestrial-michael-phelps-bag-6-rio-olympics-gold-medals.html|title=Can 'extraterrestrial' Michael Phelps bag 6 Rio Olympics gold medals?|first=Paul|last=Newberry|date=August 8, 2016|newspaper=Toronto Star}}</ref>

====Rio de Janeiro====
Phelps was chosen to be the [[United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics|American]] [[List of flag bearers for the United States at the Olympics|flag bearer]] at the [[Olympic Games ceremony#Opening|opening ceremony]], which was the first Olympic opening ceremony that he would attend.<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/sports/michael-phelps-is-named-a-captain-on-the-us-mens-olympic-swim-team.html |title=Michael Phelps Is Named a Captain on the U.S. Men's Olympic Swim Team |date=July 19, 2016 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=August 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/03/sport/michael-phelps-rio-olympics-team-usa-flag-bearer/index.html |title=Michael Phelps selected as U.S. flag bearer for Rio Olympics |first1=Jill |last1=Martin |date=August 3, 2016 |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> Phelps was also voted by the U.S. Olympic swim team as one of six [[Captain (sports)|team captains]] for the [[United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics|US delegation]] to the Olympics.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.people.com/article/veterans-helm-us-olympic-swim-team-michael-phelps-captain |title=Michael Phelps Will Captain for First Time as Veterans Helm U.S. Olympic Swim Teams |access-date=August 15, 2016}}</ref> He displayed a relaxed, sociable demeanor in the athletes' village and in press conferences; this pleasant behavior was in stark contrast to his isolation in previous Olympics.<ref name="nbcolympics.com1"/> He was accompanied by fiancée Nicole Johnson and son Boomer.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/aquatics/whats-next-michael-phelps-1.3731722 |title=The father, the millionaire, the reformed: Michael Phelps ponders future |first1=Callum |last1=Ng |date=August 23, 2016 |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=August 24, 2016}}</ref>

In his first event on August 7, the [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4 × 100 m freestyle relay]], he won his first gold medal of the 2016 Games and his 19th Olympic gold medal overall. Phelps swam the second leg with what his coach Bob Bowman described as "maybe the best turn that's ever been done",<ref>Laydon, Tim, [https://www.si.com/olympics/2016/08/08/michael-phelps-rio-us-4x100-free-relay-gold-medal "Reborn Michael Phelps plays pivotal role in U.S. 4x100 free relay gold"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411174736/https://www.si.com/olympics/2016/08/08/michael-phelps-rio-us-4x100-free-relay-gold-medal |date=April 11, 2021 }}, [[Sports Illustrated]], August 8, 2016.</ref> overtaking France's [[Fabien Gilot]] to give his American teammates a lead which they would not relinquish.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-story-of-how-michael-phelps-and-the-best-turn-ever-done-made-olympic-magic-065358629.html|title=The story of how Michael Phelps and 'the best turn ever done' made Olympic magic|website=Yahoo Sports|date=August 8, 2016 }}</ref> Phelps's leg proved to be the decisive factor in the race, and Gilot later remarked "As fast as my teammates were, the extraterrestrial that is Phelps was faster".<ref name="thestar.com"/> Phelps achieved a split time of 47.12, the fourth-fastest of the field (the three fastest times were posted by the team anchors),<ref name="thestar.com"/> which was also faster than any of his relay splits at the last three Olympics.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/i-m-very-pleased-for-michael-phelps-6-golds-within-reach-in-rio-1.3019293|title='I'm very pleased': For Michael Phelps, 6 golds within reach in Rio|first=Paul|last=Newberry|date=August 8, 2016|website=CTVNews}}</ref><ref name="nbcolympics.com">{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/abrahamson-americans-recaptured-magic-freestyle-relay-triumph|title=Abrahamson: Americans recaptured the magic with freestyle relay triumph|access-date=August 8, 2016|archive-date=February 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215204857/http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/abrahamson-americans-recaptured-magic-freestyle-relay-triumph|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Phelps carries Stars & Stripes (28726351981).jpg|thumb|upright=1.36|right|Phelps [[List of flag bearers for the United States at the Olympics|carrying the flag]] on behalf of athletes from the United States  during the [[2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations|parade of nations]] within the [[2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony]]]]

In his second event on August 9, the [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200-meter butterfly]], he became the first swimmer in history to make five finals in the same event, after finishing 5th in 2000, 1st in 2004 and 2008, and 2nd in 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/phelps-becomes-first-reach-five-consecutive-finals/ |title=Phelps becomes the first to reach five consecutive finals |first1=Jeff |last1=Grace |date=August 9, 2016 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=August 9, 2016}}</ref> ([[Federica Pellegrini]] would be the second swimmer to do so at the [[Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre freestyle|2020 Olympics]].) At Rio, he won the title that he had lost to [[Chad le Clos]] four years earlier in London, edging [[Masato Sakai (swimmer)|Masato Sakai]] by 0.04 s. Phelps stated that winning back this title had been the main goal during his comeback.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.swimvortex.com/michael-phelps-i-really-wanted-that-one-back-mission-repossession-accomplished/ |title=Michael Phelps: 'I really wanted that one back' – mission repossession accomplished |first1=Craig |last1=Lord |date=August 9, 2016 |publisher=Swimvortex |access-date=August 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811134753/http://www.swimvortex.com/michael-phelps-i-really-wanted-that-one-back-mission-repossession-accomplished/ |archive-date=August 11, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The preliminary and final of that event was heavily hyped as a rematch between Phelps and Le Clos. The relationship between Le Clos and Phelps had been cordial in 2012–13 but it deteriorated in 2014 when Phelps came back from retirement and suggested that the current butterfly times were slow.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2016/8/9/12410916/2016-summer-olympics-michael-phelps-chad-le-clos-swimming-rivarly-stare|title=The history behind Michael Phelps' death stare|first=Christian|last=D'Andrea|date=August 9, 2016|website=[[SB Nation]]}}</ref> In the ready room prior to the preliminary race, Le Clos's shadow boxing while Phelps "glowered in a corner" spawned the Internet meme with the hashtag #PhelpsFace.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|magazine|url=http://time.com/4446837/rio-2016-olympics-michael-phelps-chad-le-clos/|title=The Internet Went Wild For Michael Phelps' Win Over Chad le Clos|first= Cady |last=Lang|magazine=Time|date=August 10, 2016 }}</ref> At age 31, the victory made Phelps not only the oldest male champion,<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2016/8/9/12419516/michael-phelps-gold-medal-record-leonidas-of-rhodes |title=Michael Phelps broke a 2,168-year-old Olympic record |last=Sherman |first=Rodger |newspaper=Sbnation.com |date=August 12, 2016 |publisher=[[SB Nation]] |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> but also the oldest individual champion in Olympic swimming history,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/michael-phelps-becomes-oldest-win-individual-gold-swimming-medal/ |title=Michael Phelps becomes oldest to win individual gold swimming medal |first1=Robert |last1=Gibbs |date=August 9, 2016 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> beating the records set by [[Duke Kahanamoku]] in [[Swimming at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle|1920]], and [[Inge de Bruijn]] in [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 50 metre freestyle|2004]] respectively. Phelps also became the first swimmer to win individual gold medals 12 years apart.<ref name="sb">{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2016/8/9/12419516/michael-phelps-gold-medal-record-leonidas-of-rhodes |title=Michael Phelps tied a 2,168-year-old Olympic record |first1=Rodger |last1=Sherman |newspaper=Sbnation.com |date=August 9, 2016 |publisher=[[SB Nation]] |access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> Both these records were broken by [[Anthony Ervin]] three days later.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/ervin-passes-phelps-become-oldest-swimmer-win-solo-gold/ |title=Ervin passes Phelps to become oldest swimmer to win solo gold |first1=Robert |last1=Gibbs |date=August 12, 2016 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=Rio 2016 Olympic Games – Swimming – Men's 200m Butterfly |url=http://results.nbcolympics.com/swimming/event/men-200m-butterfly/index.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160811092019/http://results.nbcolympics.com/swimming/event/men-200m-butterfly/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 11, 2016 |publisher=NBC News }}</ref>

Also on August 9, Phelps won his 21st gold medal in the [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4 × 200 m freestyle relay]] together with [[Conor Dwyer]], [[Townley Haas]], and [[Ryan Lochte]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|title=Phelps, Lochte, Dwyer and Haas continue U.S.' golden dominance of 4x200 freestyle relay|publisher=NBC Olympics|date=August 9, 2016|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/phelps-lochte-dwyer-and-haas-continue-us-golden-dominance-4x200m-freestyle-relay|access-date=March 30, 2017|archive-date=March 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331114943/http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/phelps-lochte-dwyer-and-haas-continue-us-golden-dominance-4x200m-freestyle-relay|url-status=dead}}</ref> For Phelps and Lochte, this was their 4th consecutive gold medal in this event,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|last=Svrluga|first=Barry|title=Michael Phelps extends his legacy with two more gold medals at Rio Olympics|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 9, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/at-rio-games-ryan-lochte-sports-silver-hair-and-an-familiar-title-underdog/2016/08/09/4fa73f04-5e25-11e6-af8e-54aa2e849447_story.html|access-date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> an [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event#Team events, consecutive titles|all-time record]] in swimming for any event.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}
[[File:Adrian, Held, Phelps, Dressel Rio 2016.jpg|thumb|upright=1.18|left|Phelps with [[Nathan Adrian]], [[Ryan Held]] and [[Caeleb Dressel]], after winning the [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4 × 100 m freestyle relay]]]]

On August 11, Phelps won his 22nd gold medal in the [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre individual medley|200 m individual medley]]. He beat [[Kosuke Hagino]], the 400 m individual medley champion, by 1.95 seconds. This was Phelps's 4th consecutive gold medal in the event as well as his 4th in the Games. He became the first swimmer to win the same individual event four times, surpassing the previous record of three held by [[Dawn Fraser]] and [[Krisztina Egerszegi]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/michael-phelps-wins-record-4th-consecutive-200-im-22nd-career-gold/ |title=Michael Phelps wins record 4th consecutive 200 IM, 22nd career gold |first1=James |last1=Sutherland |date=August 11, 2016 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> He also became the third Olympian to [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event#Individual events|win the same individual event]] four times, after athletes [[Al Oerter]] and [[Carl Lewis]].<ref name="sportscafe" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-michael-phelps-wins-fourth-gold-in-200-im-outdueling-ryan-lochte-for-perhaps-last-time-20160811-story.html |title=Michael Phelps wins fourth gold in 200 IM, outdueling Ryan Lochte for perhaps last time |first1=Childs |last1=Walker |date=August 12, 2016 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> With that 13th individual gold medal, Phelps broke an [[Ancient Olympic Games|ancient Olympic]] record, set by [[Leonidas of Rhodes]], who had held the most Olympic individual titles of all time, with twelve.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/12/sports/olympics/michael-phelps-200-im-ryan-lochte-leonidas.html |title=Michael Phelps's 13th Individual Gold Breaks an Ancient Record |last1=Mills |first1=Karen Crouse, Doug |date=August 11, 2016 |last2=Lee |first2=Chang W. |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref>

In the [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]], Phelps was defeated in his last individual event of the Rio Olympics by Singaporean [[Joseph Schooling]], when he earned joint silver along with Chad le Clos and [[László Cseh]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Rio Olympics 2016: Joseph Schooling beats Michael Phelps in 100m butterfly |publisher=BBC |date=August 13, 2016 |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/37068610}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |title=Michael Phelps Misses Shot at 5th Gold Medal in Rio, Wins Silver in Butterfly |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2016/08/12/489851318/michael-phelps-misses-shot-at-5th-gold-medal-in-rio-wins-silver-in-butterfly |access-date=August 13, 2016 |date=August 12, 2016}}</ref>

On August 13, in the [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4 × 100-meter medley relay]], Phelps ended his career with another gold medal, his 23rd at the Olympics and his 28th Olympic medal overall. Together with [[Ryan Murphy (swimmer)|Ryan Murphy]], [[Cody Miller]], and [[Nathan Adrian]], swimming as the butterfly leg of the [[Medley swimming|medley]], they broke the Olympic record,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/michael-phelps-wins-career-olympic-gold-no-23-medley-relay |title=Michael Phelps wins career Olympic gold No. 23 in medley relay |first1=Rachel |last1=Lutz |date=August 13, 2016 |publisher=[[NBC Olympics]] |access-date=August 14, 2016 |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827005135/http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/michael-phelps-wins-career-olympic-gold-no-23-medley-relay |url-status=dead }}</ref> and won the United States' 1001st [[All-time Olympic Games medal table|all-time]] [[United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics gold medal]], in accordance with the [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]] and [[United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee|USOC]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2016/8/13/12465416/united-states-olympics-gold-medal-count-history-1000-or-is-it-999 |title=The United States says it has won 1,000 Olympic gold medals, but it may only have 999 |last=Bien |first=Louis |date=August 14, 2016 |publisher=[[SB Nation]] |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2016/8/13/12469660/olympics-2016-swimming-results-4x100m-medley-relay-mens-gold-united-states |title=Olympic swimming results 2016: Michael Phelps leads U.S. to medley relay gold in his final Olympic race |last=Brady |first=James |date=August 14, 2016 |publisher=[[SB Nation]] |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/international/ct-rio-olympics-mens-swimming-4x100m-medley-relay-20160813-story.html |title=Golden finale: Michael Phelps captures his 23rd Olympic gold with relay win  |website=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=August 13, 2016 |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref> Phelps retired from competitive swimming for good following the Rio Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/olympic-swimmer-michael-phelps-on-his-next-chapter-after-retirement/|title=Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps on his "new chapter" after retirement|website=CBS News|date=October 19, 2017 |first=Jennifer |last=Earl}}</ref>

Phelps's performance in the Rio Olympics was unique in "winning multiple gold medals at 31 years old, well beyond the typical peak for male swimmers". Phelps is considered one of the greatest Olympians of all time.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/5f353a1c-6928-11e6-a0b1-d87a9fea034f|title=Rio Olympics 2016: a visual analysis of Phelps, Biles and Bolt|first=John|last=Burn-Murdoch|date=August 23, 2016|website=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/37037571|title=Rio Olympics 2016: Phelps, Bolt, Owens – who is the greatest Olympian of all time?|work=BBC Sport|date=August 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/usain-bolt-vs-michael-phelps-whos-greatest-olympian-all-time-2402642|title=Usain Bolt vs. Michael Phelps: Who's The Greatest Olympian Of All Time?|website=[[International Business Times]]|date=August 16, 2016}}</ref>

===International long-course competition results===
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Meet
! class="unsortable"|100 free
! class="unsortable"|200 free
! class="unsortable"|400 free
! class="unsortable"|200 back
! class="unsortable"|100 fly
! class="unsortable"|200 fly
! class="unsortable"|200 IM
! class="unsortable"|400 IM
! class="unsortable"|4×100 free
! class="unsortable"|4×200 free
! class="unsortable"|4×100 medley
|-
| style="background:#f0e68c"| [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics|OG 2000]] || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|5th || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"|
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2001]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"|
|-
| style="background:#ccccff| [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|PPC 2002]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2003]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}{{Ref label|a1|a|a}}
|-
| style="background:#f0e68c"| [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics|OG 2004]] || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|{{Bronze3}} || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{Bronze3}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}{{Ref label|a1|a|a}}
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2005]] || align="center"|7th || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|18th || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}{{Ref label|a1|a|a}}
|-
| style="background:#ccccff| [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|PPC 2006]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"|
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2007]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"|
|-
| style="background:#f0e68c"| [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|OG 2008]] || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2009]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
| style="background:#ccccff| [[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|PPC 2010]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || heats{{Ref label|b1|b|b}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2011]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} ||align="center"|{{Silver2}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Bronze3}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
| style="background:#f0e68c"| [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics|OG 2012]] || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|4th || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2013]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"|
|-
| style="background:#ccccff| [[2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|PPC 2014]] || align="center"|4th || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || style="background:#fdffe7"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
| [[Swimming at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships|WC 2015]] || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"| || style="background:#fdffe7"|
|-
| style="background:#f0e68c"| [[Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics|OG 2016]] || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|{{Silver2}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || style="background:#f0e68c"| || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}} || align="center"|{{GoldMedal}}
|-
|}
:{{Note label|a1|a|a}} Phelps swam only in the heats. Swimmers who participated in the heats only received medals as well. 
:{{Note label|b1|b|b}} Phelps finished fourth in the heats, but he was the third American, hence he did not qualify for the final

===Personal bests===

====Long course (50&nbsp;m pool)====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Event
! Time
! 
! Meet
! Location
! Date
! Notes
|-
| 100&nbsp;m freestyle
| style="text-align:center;" | '''47.51'''
| style="text-align:center;" | '''r'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| August 11, 2008
| Former [[List of Americas records in swimming|AM]]
|-
| 200&nbsp;m freestyle
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:42.96'''
| 
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| August 12, 2008
| '''[[List of Americas records in swimming|AM]]''', Former [[World record progression 200 metres freestyle|WR]]

|-
| 400&nbsp;m freestyle
| style="text-align:center;" | '''3:46.73'''
| 
| 2003 U.S. National Championships
| [[College Park, Maryland]], United States
| August 8, 2003
| Former [[List of United States records in swimming|NR]]
|-
| 100&nbsp;m backstroke
| style="text-align:center;" | '''53.01'''
| 
| 2007 U.S. National Championships
| [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], United States
| August 3, 2007
|
|-
| 200&nbsp;m backstroke
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:54.65'''
| 
| 2007 U.S. National Championships
| [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], United States
| August 1, 2007
|
|-
| 100&nbsp;m breaststroke
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:02.54'''
| 
| 2010 North Baltimore Long Course Championships
| [[Baltimore, Maryland]], United States
| June 11, 2010
|
|-
| 200&nbsp;m breaststroke
| style="text-align:center;" | '''2:11.30'''
| 
| [[2015 USA Swimming Championships|2015 U.S. National Championships]]
| [[San Antonio, Texas]], United States
| August 10, 2015
|
|-
| 100&nbsp;m butterfly
| style="text-align:center;" | '''49.82'''
| 
| [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]
| [[Rome]], Italy
| August 1, 2009
|Former [[World record progression 100 metres butterfly|WR]]
|-
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:51.51'''
| 
| [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]
| [[Rome]], Italy
| July 29, 2009
| '''[[List of Americas records in swimming|AM]]''', Former [[World record progression 200 metres butterfly|WR]]
|-
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:54.16'''
| 
| [[2011 World Aquatics Championships|2011 World Championships]]
| [[Shanghai]], China
| July 28, 2011
| 
|-
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley
| style="text-align:center;" | '''4:03.84'''
| 
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| August 10, 2008
| '''[[List of Americas records in swimming|AM]]''', Former [[World record progression 400 metres individual medley|WR]]
|}
{{swimmingrecordlegend|WR=yes|AM=yes|NR=yes|nation=American}}

====Short course (25&nbsp;m pool)====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Event
! Time
! Meet
! Location
! Date
|-
| 100&nbsp;m freestyle
| style="text-align:center;" | '''46.99'''
| [[2009 Duel in the Pool]]
| [[Manchester]], United Kingdom
| December 18, 2009
|-
| 200&nbsp;m freestyle
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:42.78'''
| [[2005-06 FINA Swimming World Cup|2005-06 World Cup]]
| [[East Meadow, New York]], United States
| February 4, 2006
|-
| 200&nbsp;m backstroke
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:50.34'''
| [[2011 FINA Swimming World Cup|2011 World Cup]]
| [[Berlin]], Germany
| October 23, 2011
|-
| 100&nbsp;m butterfly
| style="text-align:center;" | '''50.46'''
| [[2009 Duel in the Pool]]
| [[Manchester]], United Kingdom
| December 18, 2009
|-
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:52.26'''
| [[2009 FINA Swimming World Cup|2009 World Cup]]
| [[Berlin]], Germany
| November 14, 2009
|-
| 100&nbsp;m individual medley
| style="text-align:center;" | '''51.65'''
| [[2011 FINA Swimming World Cup|2011 World Cup]]
| [[Berlin]], Germany
| October 22, 2011
|-
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1:51.89'''
| [[2011 FINA Swimming World Cup|2011 World Cup]]
| [[Berlin]], Germany
| October 23, 2011
|-
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley
| style="text-align:center;" | '''4:01.49'''
| [[2011 FINA Swimming World Cup|2011 World Cup]]
| [[Berlin]], Germany
| October 22, 2011
|}

==Video game==
In 2011, ''Michael Phelps: Push the Limit'', an [[Xbox 360]]/[[Kinect]] game, was released, which promised to bring "the fun, fitness and excitement of head-to-head swimming to your living room."<ref name="IGN2">{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://ca.ign.com/articles/2011/06/06/505-games-announces-e3-2011-lineup |title=505 Games Announces E3 Lineup |date=June 6, 2011 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[j2 Global]] |access-date=September 10, 2016 }}</ref> The game received a lukewarm review from [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], which observed that "the title would have been better as cheap downloadable content or packaged in a larger Olympic sports world."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=Review: 'Michael Phelps: Push the Limit' for Kinect |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/review-michael-phelps-push-limit-kinect/story?id=15201303 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=September 19, 2021}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Michael Phelps & Nicole Johnson by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|Phelps with his wife, Nicole Johnson]]
Bob Bowman described Phelps as "a solitary man"<ref name="Phelps life">{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Profile: Michael Phelps |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4547306.ece |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=August 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100907191225/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4547306.ece |archive-date=September 7, 2010 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |location=London |url-status=dead }}</ref> with a "rigid focus"<ref name="voyage" /> at the pool prior to a race, but afterward "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about".<ref name="voyage" /> He states that "he's unbelievably kind-hearted",<ref name="Phelps life" /> recounting Phelps' interaction with young children after practices.<ref name="voyage" />

Phelps is married to former [[Miss California USA]] [[Nicole Johnson (Miss California USA)|Nicole Johnson]]. They secretly married on June 13, 2016, and the marriage was not publicly reported until four months later.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/michael-phelps-married-nicole-johnson/story?id=43087505 |title=Michael Phelps Is Married to Nicole Johnson |first=Lesley |last=Messer |date=October 26, 2016 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=October 27, 2016}}</ref> They met in 2007 at the [[ESPY Award|ESPYs]], broke up in 2008, later got back together but broke up again in 2010. In 2012 they started to reconcile and ultimately got engaged in February 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |last1=Chetia |first1=Aklanta |title=I Don't Want to Waste My Time |url=https://www.essentiallysports.com/us-sports-news-swimming-news-i-dont-want-to-waste-my-time-michael-phelps-wife-was-hesitant-when-he-wanted-to-start-over-after-breakup/ |website=Essentially Sports |date=July 5, 2022 |publisher=Full Spectrum Services LLP |access-date=October 5, 2023 |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707024027/https://www.essentiallysports.com/us-sports-news-swimming-news-i-dont-want-to-waste-my-time-michael-phelps-wife-was-hesitant-when-he-wanted-to-start-over-after-breakup/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=engaged>{{#invoke:Cite|magazine |url=http://time.com/3717812/michael-phelps-engaged/ |title=Michael Phelps Just Got Engaged to Former Miss California USA |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=February 22, 2015 |access-date=February 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/michael-phelps-swimming-rio-2016-relishes-new-reality.html |title=Michael Phelps Relishes the Cheer and Challenge of His New Reality |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 7, 2016 |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref> They have four sons together. The family lives in [[Paradise Valley, Arizona]], where Phelps volunteers alongside Bowman as an assistant coach for the [[Arizona State Sun Devils]] swim team.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://azcentral.com/story/money/real-estate/catherine-reagor/2016/08/22/solid-gold-inside-michael-phelps-paradise-valley-home/89123120/|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20160823231624/http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/real%2Destate/catherine%2Dreagor/2016/08/22/solid%2Dgold%2Dinside%2Dmichael%2Dphelps%2Dparadise%2Dvalley%2Dhome/89123120/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 23, 2016|title=Solid gold: Inside Michael Phelps' Paradise Valley home|last=Reagor|first=Catherine|date=August 22, 2016|website=AZCentral|access-date=August 7, 2017}}</ref>

As a teenager, Phelps idolized Australian swimmer [[Ian Thorpe]] and modeled his public image after Thorpe.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 95.</ref> Thorpe initially said that it would be highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Thorpe's doubt of eight gold sweep spurs Phelps |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/thorpes-doubt-of-eight-gold-sweep-spurs-phelps/story-e6frg7mo-1111116988410 |work=The Australian |author=Nicole Jeffery |date=July 23, 2008 |access-date=June 21, 2010}}</ref> Phelps used the remarks as motivation and taped the words to his locker during the Games.<ref>Phelps, ''Beneath the Surface'', p. 281.</ref> Thorpe was in the stands for the [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100-meter medley relay]], where Phelps was swimming for his eighth Olympic gold medal. When Phelps and his teammates captured the gold, Thorpe gave a congratulatory kiss to Phelps's mother, then gave a handshake and a hug to congratulate Phelps. Afterwards, Thorpe said "I'm really proud of him not just because he won eight golds. Rather, it's how much he has grown up and matured into a great human being. Never in my life have I been so happy to have been proved wrong."<ref name="Phelps, No Limits, p. 218"/><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Ian Thorpe happy to have been proved wrong by Michael Phelps |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2591815/Ian-Thorpe-happy-to-have-been-proved-wrong-by-Michael-Phelps-Olympics.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208021038/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2591815/Ian-Thorpe-happy-to-have-been-proved-wrong-by-Michael-Phelps-Olympics.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 8, 2011 |work=The Daily Telegraph |author=Kaz Mochlinski |date=August 20, 2008 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |location=London}}</ref>

Phelps is an avid [[golf]]er, and has competed in numerous amateur and pro-am golf tournaments; he considered becoming a professional golfer after retiring from swimming.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=Michael Phelps: Could Legendary Olympic Champion Become Professional Golfer? |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1285535-is-michael-phelps-looking-to-become-professional-golfer |first=Jim |last=Morisette |work=Bleacher Report |date=August 5, 2012}}</ref> At the 2012 [[Alfred Dunhill Links Championship]], a pro-am tournament in which he was paired with golfer [[Paul Casey]], Phelps set the world record for the longest televised [[putt (golf)|putt]] in history, sinking a putt from 159 feet away.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=Michael Phelps' other claim to fame? Making the longest televised putt in history. (Seriously.) |url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/michael-phelps-other-claim-to-fame-making-the-longest-televised-putt-in-history-seriously |first=Alex |last=Myers |work=Golf Digest |date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>

Phelps has also cited [[Michael Jordan]] as a sporting idol of his, and stated that "he changed the sport of basketball".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE1ZIZqBa9s  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/lE1ZIZqBa9s |archive-date=December 21, 2021|title=Michael Phelps on Michael Jordan |publisher=CNN |website=youtube.com |date=July 27, 2012 |access-date=August 28, 2021 |url-status=live}}{{Cbignore}}</ref> Phelps is also a fan of the [[Baltimore Ravens]] and stated that he found his life purpose and desire to compete in the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] after seeking [[Ray Lewis]]'s advice.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-ray-lewis-tweets-strange-thing-about-michael-phelps-medal-count-deletes-it-20160810-story.html|title=Ray Lewis tweets strange thing about Michael Phelps' medal count, deletes it|last=Shaffer|first=Jonas|date=August 10, 2016|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=September 9, 2016|archive-date=September 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913085548/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-ray-lewis-tweets-strange-thing-about-michael-phelps-medal-count-deletes-it-20160810-story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://qpolitical.com/1-nearly-dying-michael-phelps-tells-god-saved-life-made-swim/|title=After Nearly Dying, Michael Phelps Admits The Secret That Saved His Life And Made Him Swim Again|date=August 5, 2016|publisher=qpolitical.com|access-date=September 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916202905/http://qpolitical.com/1-nearly-dying-michael-phelps-tells-god-saved-life-made-swim/|archive-date=September 16, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In January 2018, Phelps revealed that he has struggled both with [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADHD]] and [[Major depressive disorder|depression]], having contemplated suicide after the 2012 Olympics.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://people.com/sports/michael-phelps-opens-up-about-adhd-struggles-in-new-video-a-teacher-told-me-id-never-amount-to-anything/|title=Michael Phelps Opens Up About ADHD Struggles: A Teacher Told Me 'I'd Never Amount to Anything'|website=PEOPLE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Phelps Says He Contemplated Suicide After 2012 Olympics |url=https://people.com/sports/michael-phelps-thought-about-suicide/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120181237/https://people.com/sports/michael-phelps-thought-about-suicide/ |archive-date=January 20, 2018 |website=PEOPLE}}</ref>

His father Fred passed away in 2022. Phelps made a tributary post on Instagram for his father on October 24.<ref>{{Cite Instagram |user=m_phelps00|last=Phelps|first=Michael|postid=CkGeabGpxt7|title=You'll always be my dad… |date=October 24, 2022}}</ref>

===Legal issues===
At age 19 in November 2004, Phelps was arrested for [[driving under the influence of alcohol]] in [[Salisbury, Maryland]].<ref>Schaller, p. 42.</ref> He pleaded guilty to [[driving while impaired]] and was sentenced to serve 18 months of [[probation]], fined $250, ordered to speak to high school students about drinking and driving, and to attend a [[Mothers Against Drunk Driving]] (MADD) meeting.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/08/national/main654380.shtml |title=Olympic Champ Sentenced For DUI |work=CBS News |date=December 29, 2004 |access-date=February 14, 2008}}</ref> When Phelps was later asked about the incident by [[Matt Lauer]] on the [[Today (NBC program)|''Today Show'']], he said that he had "let a lot of people in the country down".<ref name="voyage" />

In February 2009, a photograph of Phelps using a [[bong]] went viral; this resulted in the loss of [[Kellogg's]] as a sponsor, as well as a three-month suspension by [[USA Swimming]]. Phelps admitted that the photo, which was taken at a party at the [[University of South Carolina]], was authentic. He publicly apologized, calling his behavior "inappropriate".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps Disciplined Over Marijuana Pipe Incident |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/sports/othersports/06phelps.html |work=The New York Times |first=Juliet |last=Macur |date=February 5, 2009 |access-date=February 5, 2009}}</ref>

In September 2014, Phelps was arrested again, this time on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding in [[Baltimore]].<ref>[https://news.yahoo.com/olympian-michael-phelps-arrested-dui-charge-170245539.html Olympian Michael Phelps apologizes for DUI arrest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305075204/http://news.yahoo.com/olympian-michael-phelps-arrested-dui-charge-170245539.html |date=March 5, 2016 }}, [[Associated Press]], September 30, 2014.</ref> As a result, USA Swimming suspended him from all competitions for six months, and stated he would not be chosen to represent the United States at the [[2015 World Aquatics Championships]] in August.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/swimming/29515422 |title=Michael Phelps suspended from swimming for six months |work=BBC News |date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> With Phelps off the team, the United States failed to qualify for the finals of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.<ref name="nbcolympics.com"/>

==Philanthropy==
{{Multiple image
| align = left
| image1 = Michael Phelps with im program participants - 20080909.jpg
| width1 = 130
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = 
| image2 = Logo of the Michael Phelps Foundation's im program.jpg
| width2 = 130
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = 
| footer = Phelps with ''im'' program participants (''left''), Phelps Foundation's ''im'' logo (''right'').
}}

After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used his $1&nbsp;million [[Speedo]] bonus to set up the Michael Phelps Foundation.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 227.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps to use $1&nbsp;million bonus to start charity |url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26506320/ |publisher=TODAY People |author=Bob Considine |date=September 2, 2008 |access-date=June 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728125731/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26506320 |archive-date=July 28, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |last=Johnson |first=Drew |title=Michael Phelps Launches Foundation, Donates Speedo $1 Million Bonus to Charity Olympic Gold Medalist Embarks on Eight-City Tour |url=http://www.warnaco.com/content/speedousa.com/20080902/20080902_mp.html |access-date=May 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415073619/http://www.warnaco.com/content/speedousa.com/20080902/20080902_mp.html |archive-date=April 15, 2012 }}</ref> His foundation focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles.<ref>Phelps, ''No Limits'', p. 226.</ref>

In 2010, the Michael Phelps Foundation, the Michael Phelps Swim School and [[KidsHealth]].org developed and nationally piloted the "im" program for [[Boys & Girls Clubs of America|Boys & Girls Club]] members. The im program teaches children the importance of being active and healthy, with a focus on the sport of swimming. It also promotes the value of planning and goal-setting.<ref name=valkenburg>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Van Valkenburg |first=Kevin |title=Phelps expands swimming education initiative |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs-sp-phelps-foundation-0624-20110623,0,136720.story |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729130057/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs-sp-phelps-foundation-0624-20110623,0,136720.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |access-date=August 8, 2012 |date=June 24, 2011 }}</ref> ''im'' is offered through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America<ref name=valkenburg /> and through [[Special Olympics]] International.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Murphy |first=Mandy |title=Michael Phelps Becomes Special Olympics' Newest Global Ambassador |url=http://www.specialolympics.org/Press/2011/Michael_Phelps_Becomes_Special_Olympics_Global_Ambassador.aspx |access-date=May 30, 2012 |date=August 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419150107/http://www.specialolympics.org/Press/2011/Michael_Phelps_Becomes_Special_Olympics_Global_Ambassador.aspx |archive-date=April 19, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Foundation has since developed two other programs, Level Field Fund-Swimming and Caps-for-a-Cause.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|last=Michael Phelps Foundation |title=Programs |url=http://michaelphelpsfoundation.org/the_foundation.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305035714/http://www.michaelphelpsfoundation.org/the_foundation.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |publisher=Michael Phelps Foundation |access-date=May 30, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Level Field Fund Establishes Level Field Fund – Swimming |url=http://www.levelfieldfund.org/level-field-fund-establishes-level-field-fund-%E2%80%93-swimming |access-date=May 30, 2012 |date=August 16, 2010 |archive-date=March 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328071423/http://www.levelfieldfund.org/level-field-fund-establishes-level-field-fund-%E2%80%93-swimming |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Foundation's largest event is its annual fundraiser, the Michael Phelps Foundation Golf Classic.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Van Valkenburg |first=Kevin |title=Tee times, not London, keeping Phelps busy |url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-09-14/sports/bs-sp-phelps-0914-20100913_1_bob-bowman-michael-phelps-promising-swimmers |access-date=May 30, 2012 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=September 14, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |last=Phelps |first=Michael |title=Michael Phelps Foundation Golf Classic |url=http://paceclub.speedousa.com/athletes/blog_posts/michael-phelps-foundation-golf-classic |publisher=Speedo Pace Club |access-date=May 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119120338/http://paceclub.speedousa.com/athletes/blog_posts/michael-phelps-foundation-golf-classic |archive-date=January 19, 2012 }}</ref> Phelps stated he hoped to work with his Foundation more after retirement from competition following the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |last=Schultz |first=Jordan |title=Michael Phelps on London 2012 Olympics, His New Post-Swimming Diet And Retirement Plans |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/michael-phelps-on-london-olympics_n_1499884.html |access-date=May 30, 2012 |work=The Huffington Post |date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

In 2017, Phelps joined the board of [[Medibio Limited|Medibio]], a company focused on diagnosis of mental health disorders.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|url=http://medibio.com.au/board-of-directors/|title=Our Company|work=Medibio|access-date=July 5, 2017|language=en-AU}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==World Records==
Phelps has set 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay), which is more records than any other swimmer that is recognized by [[FINA]]; this achievement surpassed [[Mark Spitz]]'s previous record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay).{{Citation needed|reason=|date=August 2016}} However, [[Johnny Weissmuller]] is reported to have broken 67 official world records.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-swimming-blog/2013/nov/22/heroes-swimming-johnny-weissmuller |title=Heroes of swimming: Johnny Weissmuller |first1=Paul |last1=Mason |date=November 22, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=August 15, 2016}}</ref>

All but two of the records were set in a long-course (50-meter) pool. {{As of|2023|07|23|df=US}}, he holds world records in two events (indicated with "'''Current'''"), after his last standing individual world record in the 400&nbsp;m individual medley was broken.

=== Long course (50&nbsp;m pool) ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!No.
!Event
!Time
!Meet
!Location
!Date
!Status
!Ref
|-
| 1
| [[World record progression 200 metres butterfly|200&nbsp;m butterfly]]
| align="center" | '''1:54.92'''
| 2001 U.S. National Championships
| [[Austin, Texas]], United States
| {{Dts|2001|March|30|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Young Phelps">{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Youngster Quickly Joins Elite |last=Litsky |first=Frank |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E1FFF39590C738FDDA80994D9404482 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 30, 2001 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121216094441/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E1FFF39590C738FDDA80994D9404482 |archive-date=December 16, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 2
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(2)
| align="center" | '''1:54.58'''
| [[2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001 World Championships]]
| [[Fukuoka]], Japan
| {{Dts|2001|July|24|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Young Phelps" />
|-
| 3
| [[World record progression 400 metres medley|400&nbsp;m individual medley]]
| align="center" | '''4:11.09'''
| 2002 U.S. National Championships
| [[Ft. Lauderdale, Florida]], United States
| {{Dts|2002|August|15|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=World Record Not Quite Enough For Vendt in 400m IM |url=http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-swim/spec-rel/081502aaa.html |publisher=Usctrojans.com |date=August 15, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111124712/http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-swim/spec-rel/081502aaa.html |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 4
| [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay|4x100&nbsp;m medley relay]]{{Ref label|a|a|a}}
| align="center" | '''3:33.48'''
| [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2002 Pan Pacific Championships]]
| [[Yokohama]], Japan
| {{Dts|2002|August|29|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=U.S. Men Have Last Word, Set World Mark in 400m Medley Relay as Pan Pacs End With a Bang |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/4102.asp |work=Swimming World |date=August 29, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825214534/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/4102.asp |archive-date=August 25, 2012 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 5
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(2)
| align="center" | '''4:10.73'''
| [[2003 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool|2003 Duel in the Pool]]
| [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], United States
| {{Dts|2003|April|6|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps Lowers His Own World Record in the 400 individual medley at 'Duel in the Pool' |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/5234.asp |work=Swimming World |date=April 6, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105145147/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/5234.asp |archive-date=January 5, 2012 |access-date=September 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 6
| [[World record progression 200 metres medley|200&nbsp;m individual medley]]
| align="center" | '''1:57.94'''
| 2003 Santa Clara Invitational
| [[Santa Clara, California]], United States
| {{Dts|2003|June|29|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=New world record? Phelps just starting |last=Ostler |first=Scott |url=http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-06-30/sports/17496694_1_hummer-phelps-ian-thorpe-male-swimmer |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=June 30, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107025156/http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-06-30/sports/17496694_1_hummer-phelps-ian-thorpe-male-swimmer |archive-date=January 7, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 7
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(3)
| align="center" | '''1:53.93'''
| [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 World Championships]]
| [[Barcelona]], Spain
| {{Dts|2003|July|22|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Barcelona Results Book">{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=10th FINA World Championships, Barcelona (ESP): Full Results Book: Records Broken By Event |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001030500FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF00 |publisher=Omega Timing |date=July 26, 2003 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |page=167}}</ref>
|-
| 8
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(2)
| align="center" | '''1:57.52'''
| [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 World Championships]]
| [[Barcelona]], Spain
| {{Dts|2003|July|24|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Barcelona Results Book" />
|-
| 9
| [[World record progression 100 metres butterfly|100&nbsp;m butterfly]]
| align="center" | '''{{Sort|0:51.47|51.47}}'''
| [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 World Championships]]
| [[Barcelona]], Spain
| {{Dts|2003|July|25|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Barcelona Results Book" />
|-
| 10
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(3)
| align="center" | '''1:56.04'''
| [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 World Championships]]
| [[Barcelona]], Spain
| {{Dts|2003|July|25|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Barcelona Results Book" />
|-
| 11
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(3)
| align="center" | '''4:09.09'''
| [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 World Championships]]
| [[Barcelona]], Spain
| {{Dts|2003|July|27|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Barcelona Results Book" />
|-
| 12
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(4)
| align="center" | '''1:55.94'''
| 2003 U.S. National Championships
| [[College Park, Maryland]], United States
| {{Dts|2003|August|9|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps sets new world mark in 200m medley |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/08/10/920998.htm |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=August 10, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220232519/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/08/10/920998.htm |archive-date=February 20, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 13
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(4)
| align="center" | '''4:08.41'''
| [[2004 United States Olympic trials (swimming)|2004 U.S. Olympic Trials]]
| [[Long Beach, California]], United States
| {{Dts|2004|July|7|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Setting the pace / Phelps breaks own world record in Olympic qualifying |last=May |first=Meredith |url=http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-07-08/sports/17433066_1_katie-hoff-janet-evans-world-record-pace |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=July 8, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106183246/http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-07-08/sports/17433066_1_katie-hoff-janet-evans-world-record-pace |archive-date=January 6, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 14
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(5)
| align="center" | '''4:08.26'''
| [[2004 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Athens]], Greece
| {{Dts|2004|August|14|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps earns first gold |url=http://trib.com/sports/article_d04367a1-0088-5413-b491-708a8578f511.html |newspaper=Casper Star-Tribune |date=August 15, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211105338/http://trib.com/sports/article_d04367a1-0088-5413-b491-708a8578f511.html |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 15
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(4)
| align="center" | '''1:53.80'''
| [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Pan Pacific Championships]]
| [[Victoria, British Columbia]], Canada
| {{Dts|2006|August|17|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Victoria Results Book">{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Victoria, British Columbia (CAN): Full Results Book: Records Broken By Event |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001060500FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF00 |publisher=Omega Timing |date=August 20, 2006 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |page=76}}</ref>
|-
| 16
| [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay|4x100&nbsp;m freestyle relay]]{{Ref label|b|b|b}}
| align="center" | '''3:12.46'''
| [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Pan Pacific Championships]]
| [[Victoria, British Columbia]], Canada
| {{Dts|2006|August|19|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Victoria Results Book" />
|-
| 17
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(5)
| align="center" | '''1:55.84'''
| [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Pan Pacific Championships]]
| [[Victoria, British Columbia]], Canada
| {{Dts|2006|August|20|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Victoria Results Book" />
|-
| 18
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(5)
| align="center" | '''1:53.71'''
| 2007 Missouri Grand Prix
| [[Columbia, Missouri]], United States
| {{Dts|2007|February|17|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps sets world record at Grand Prix |url=http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2007/02/18/phelps-sets-world-record-at-grand-prix/ |newspaper=Columbia Missourian |date=February 18, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909095410/http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2007/02/18/phelps-sets-world-record-at-grand-prix/ |archive-date=September 9, 2008 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 19
| [[World record progression 200 metres freestyle|200&nbsp;m freestyle]]
| align="center" | '''1:43.86'''
| [[2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 World Championships]]
| [[Melbourne, Victoria]], Australia
| {{Dts|2007|March|27|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Melbourne Results Book">{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=12th FINA World Championships, Melbourne (AUS): Full Results Book: Records Broken By Event |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001070D00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF00 |publisher=Omega Timing |date=April 1, 2007 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |page=190}}</ref>
|-
| 20
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(6)
| align="center" | '''1:52.09'''
| [[2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 World Championships]]
| [[Melbourne, Victoria]], Australia
| {{Dts|2007|March|28|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Melbourne Results Book" />
|-
| 21
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(6)
| align="center" | '''1:54.98'''
| [[2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 World Championships]]
| [[Melbourne, Victoria]], Australia
| {{Dts|2007|March|29|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Melbourne Results Book" />
|-
| 22
| [[World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay|4x200&nbsp;m freestyle relay]]{{Ref label|c|c|c}}
| align="center" | '''7:03.24'''
| [[2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 World Championships]]
| [[Melbourne, Victoria]], Australia
| {{Dts|2007|March|30|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Melbourne Results Book" />
|-
| 23
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(6)
| align="center" | '''4:06.22'''
| [[2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 World Championships]]
| [[Melbourne, Victoria]], Australia
| {{Dts|2007|April|1|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Melbourne Results Book" />
|-
| 24
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(7)
| align="center" | '''4:05.25'''
| [[2008 United States Olympic trials (swimming)|2008 U.S. Olympic Trials]]
| [[Omaha, Nebraska]], United States
| {{Dts|2008|June|29|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="2008 Trials Results Book">{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Omaha (USA): Full Results Book: Records Broken By Event |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080B00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF00 |publisher=Omega Timing |date=July 6, 2008 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |page=162}}</ref>
|-
| 25
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(7)
| align="center" | '''1:54.80'''
| [[2008 United States Olympic trials (swimming)|2008 U.S. Olympic Trials]]
| [[Omaha, Nebraska]], United States
| {{Dts|2008|July|4|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="2008 Trials Results Book" />
|-
| 26
| 400&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(8)
| align="center" | '''4:03.84'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| {{Dts|2008|August|10|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Current world records">{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=Men's long course world records as of December 18, 2009 |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/results/records/WorldRecords_LCM.pdf |work=Swimming World |date=December 18, 2009 |access-date=September 4, 2010}}</ref>
|-
| 27
| 4x100&nbsp;m freestyle relay&nbsp;(2){{Ref label|d|d|d}}
| align="center" | '''3:08.24'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| {{Dts|2008|August|11|format=mdy}}
| '''Current'''
| align="center" | <ref name="Current world records" />
|-
| 28
| 200&nbsp;m freestyle&nbsp;(2)
| align="center" | '''1:42.96'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| {{Dts|2008|August|12|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps picks up third gold medal in Beijing |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/sport/phelps-picks-up-third-gold-medal-in-beijing-13936534.html |newspaper=The Belfast Telegraph |date=August 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016032627/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/sport/phelps-picks-up-third-gold-medal-in-beijing-13936534.html |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 29
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(7)
| align="center" | '''1:52.03'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| {{Dts|2008|August|13|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=More gold and another day at the office for Michael Phelps |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2008olympics/2008/08/12/2008-08-12_more_gold_and_another_day_at_the_office_.html |newspaper=Daily News |date=August 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100905004416/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2008olympics/2008/08/12/2008-08-12_more_gold_and_another_day_at_the_office_.html |archive-date=September 5, 2010 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |location=New York |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 30
| 4x200&nbsp;m freestyle relay&nbsp;(2){{Ref label|e|e|e}}
| align="center" | '''6:58.56'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| {{Dts|2008|August|13|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps Adds 2 More Gold Medals |last=Stallman |first=Jason |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/sports/olympics/13michaelweb.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907015903/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/sports/olympics/13michaelweb.html?_r=1&hp |archive-date=September 7, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 31
| 200&nbsp;m individual medley&nbsp;(8)
| align="center" | '''1:54.23'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| {{Dts|2008|August|15|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps wins 200 individual medley for sixth gold |last=Stallman |first=Jason |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/sports/15iht-15swim.15312544.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905213826/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/sports/15iht-15swim.15312544.html?_r=1 |archive-date=September 5, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 32
| 4x100&nbsp;m medley relay&nbsp;(2){{Ref label|a|a|a}}
| align="center" | '''3:29.34'''
| [[2008 Summer Olympics]]
| [[Beijing]], China
| {{Dts|2008|August|17|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Michael Phelps overtakes Mark Spitz with record-breaking haul of eight gold medals |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2572516/Michael-Phelps-overtakes-Mark-Spitz-with-record-breaking-haul-of-eight-gold-medals-Beijing-Olympics-2008.html |newspaper=The Sunday Telegraph |date=August 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913003304/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2572516/Michael-Phelps-overtakes-Mark-Spitz-with-record-breaking-haul-of-eight-gold-medals-Beijing-Olympics-2008.html |archive-date=September 13, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |location=London |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| 33
| 100&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(2)
| align="center" | '''{{Sort|0:50.22|50.22}}'''
| 2009 U.S. National Championships
| [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], United States
| {{Dts|2009|July|9|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=USA Swimming National Championships: Michael Phelps Demolishes World Record in 100 Fly |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21640.asp?q=USA%20Swimming%20National%20Championships:%20Flash!%20Michael%20Phelps%20Demolishes%20World%20Record%20in%20100%20Fly |work=Swimming World |date=July 9, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819212645/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/21640.asp?q=USA%20Swimming%20National%20Championships:%20Flash!%20Michael%20Phelps%20Demolishes%20World%20Record%20in%20100%20Fly |archive-date=August 19, 2012 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 34
| 200&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(8)
| align="center" | '''1:51.51'''
| [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]
| [[Rome]], Italy
| {{Dts|2009|July|29|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Rome Results Book">{{#invoke:Cite|web |title=13th FINA World Championships, Rome (ITA): Full Results Book: Records Broken By Event |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001090B00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF00 |publisher=Omega Timing |date=July 30, 2009 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |pages=246–247}}</ref>
|-
| 35
| 4x200&nbsp;m freestyle relay&nbsp;(3){{Ref label|f|f|f}}
| align="center" | '''6:58.55'''
| [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]
| [[Rome]], Italy
| {{Dts|2009|July|31|format=mdy}}
| '''Current'''
| align="center" | <ref name="Rome Results Book" />
|-
| 36
| 100&nbsp;m butterfly&nbsp;(3)
| align="center" | '''{{Sort|0:49.82|49.82}}'''
| [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]
| [[Rome]], Italy
| {{Dts|2009|August|1|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Rome Results Book" />
|-
| 37
| 4x100&nbsp;m medley relay&nbsp;(3){{Ref label|g|g|g}}
| align="center" | '''3:27.28'''
| [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]
| [[Rome]], Italy
| {{Dts|2009|August|2|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="Rome Results Book" />
|}

:{{Note label|a|a|a}} with [[Aaron Peirsol]], [[Brendan Hansen]] and Jason Lezak
:{{Note label|b|b|b}} with [[Neil Walker (swimmer)|Neil Walker]], [[Cullen Jones]] and Jason Lezak
:{{Note label|c|c|c}} with [[Ryan Lochte]], [[Klete Keller]] and [[Peter Vanderkaay]]
:{{Note label|d|d|d}} with [[Garrett Weber-Gale]], Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak
:{{Note label|e|e|e}} with Ryan Lochte, [[Ricky Berens]] and Peter Vanderkaay
:{{Note label|f|f|f}} with Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and [[David Walters (swimmer)|David Walters]]
:{{Note label|g|g|g}} with Aaron Peirsol, [[Eric Shanteau]] and David Walters

=== Short course (25&nbsp;m pool) ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!No.
!Event
!Time
!Meet
!Location
!Date
!Status
!Ref
|-
| 1
| [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay|4x100&nbsp;m medley relay]]{{Ref label|h|h|h}}
| align="center" | '''3:20.71'''
| [[2009 Duel in the Pool]]
| [[Manchester]], United Kingdom
| {{Dts|2009|December|18|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="duelbook">{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001090000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF00 |title=British Gas Duel in the Pool: United States Team vs European Select Team: December 18–19 – 2009 Manchester (GBR): Full Results Book: Records Broken By Record Type |publisher=Omega Timing |date=December 19, 2009 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |page=32}}</ref>
|-
| 2
| [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay|4x100&nbsp;m freestyle relay]]{{Ref label|i|i|i}}
| align="center" | '''3:03.30'''
| [[2009 Duel in the Pool]]
| [[Manchester]], United Kingdom
| {{Dts|2009|December|19|format=mdy}}
| Former
| align="center" | <ref name="duelbook" />
|}

:{{Note label|h|h|h}} with [[Nick Thoman]], [[Mark Gangloff]] and [[Nathan Adrian]]
:{{Note label|i|i|i}} with Nathan Adrian, [[Matt Grevers]] and [[Garrett Weber-Gale]]

===Guinness World Records===
Phelps holds 20 [[Guinness World Records]] which predominantly consist of accumulative Guinness World Records ("Guinness mosts", records formulated starting with "most") for total number of accomplishments and victories in swimming such as: most medals, consecutive number of medals, most medals within one tournament, most records in swimming etc.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://guinnessworldrecords.com/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2fsearch%2fapplicationrecordsearch%3fterm%3d%2522Michael%2520Phelps%2522%26contentType%3drecord%26page%3d4&term=%22Michael%20Phelps%22&contentType=record&page=4|title=Guinness World Records online registry"<br />the result of the linked search will display higher number of records, however many of those displayed contain the name of Michael Phelps in the description of the record but don't belong to him.|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726074144/https://guinnessworldrecords.com/Account/Login?ReturnUrl%3D%2Fsearch%2Fapplicationrecordsearch%3Fterm%3D%2522Michael%2520Phelps%2522%26contentType%3Drecord%26page%3D4%26term%3D%22Michael+Phelps%22%26contentType%3Drecord%26page%3D4|archive-date=July 26, 2018|url-status=dead|access-date=March 7, 2018}}</ref> It is the highest number of accumulative Guinness World Records held by an athlete.
# Most world records set for swimming (male)
# Most individual swimming Olympic gold medals
# Most medals won at the FINA Swimming World Championships
# Most Olympic gold medals in team swimming
# Most medals won at the Olympics for swimming (male)
# Most Men's World Swimmer of the Year Awards
# Most Olympic golds at one Games (male)
# Most gold medals won at the Olympics for an individual event (male)
# Most FINA world records held by an individual
# Most Olympic medals won, Men
# Most consecutive Olympic swimming gold medals in the same event (male)
# Fastest swim long course 400 metres medley (male)
# Most gold medals won at the Olympics (male)
# Most individual Olympic medals (male)
# Most swimming Olympic medals won, men (single games)
# Most Olympic medals won (single games), men
# Most gold medals won at a single FINA World Championships (individual). He also won most gold medals in FINA world championship's history.
# Most silver medals awarded in a single Olympic swimming race
# Fastest swim short course relay 4 x 100 metres freestyle (male)
# Fastest swim long course relay 4 x 200 metres freestyle (male)

==Honors and awards==
[[File:Phelps and Busch 2009.jpg|thumb|right|Phelps and Maryland House Speaker [[Michael E. Busch|Mike Busch]] in April 2009. Both houses of the [[Maryland General Assembly]] honored Phelps that day.]]
Phelps was a USA Olympic team member in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, and holds the records for most Olympic gold medals (23), most such medals in individual events (13), and most such medals at a single games (8, in Beijing 2008).<ref name="phelpsbio">{{#invoke:Cite|news |publisher=USA Swimming |title=USA Swimming bio: Michael Phelps |url=https://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopModules/BioViewManaged.aspx?personid=4beec290-d7ae-483d-a512-36b18a4e022a&TabId=1453&Mid=10312 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405075041/http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopModules/BioViewManaged.aspx?personid=4beec290-d7ae-483d-a512-36b18a4e022a&TabId=1453&Mid=10312 |archive-date=April 5, 2012 }}</ref> A street in his hometown of Baltimore was renamed The Michael Phelps Way in 2004.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Athlete Bio: Michael Phelps |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/sports/olympics/biophelps.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905022741/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/sports/olympics/biophelps.html?_r=1 |archive-date=September 5, 2012 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> On April 9, 2009, Phelps was invited to appear before the [[Maryland House of Delegates]] and the [[Maryland Senate]], to be honored for his Olympic accomplishments.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2009/04/michael_phelps_general_assembl.html |title=Phelps wins over General Assembly, hopes Preakness stays in Maryland |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=October 13, 2008 |access-date=April 11, 2009}}</ref>

Phelps has also received the following awards:
* ''[[Swimming World]]'' [[World Swimmer of the Year Award]]: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012,<ref name="Swimming World Awards">{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Swimming World Magazine: Swimmers of the Year |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/SwimmersOfTheYear.asp |work=Swimming World |access-date=December 1, 2016}}</ref> 2016<ref name="Swimming World Awards 2016">{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Swimming World Magazine Announces World and American Swimmers of the Year |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/swimming-world-magazine-announces-world-and-american-swimmers-of-the-year/ |work=Swimming World |date=December 1, 2016 |access-date=December 1, 2016}}</ref>
* ''Swimming World'' [[American Swimmer of the Year Award]]: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015,<ref name="Swimming World Awards" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Swimming World Names 2009 American Swimmers of the Year |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22830.asp |work=Swimming World |date=November 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104090125/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/22830.asp |archive-date=January 4, 2011 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 2016<ref name="Swimming World Awards 2016" />
* [[Fédération internationale de natation]] [[List of FINA Athletes of the Year|swimmer of the year]] (since 2010): 2012, 2016
* [[Golden Goggle Awards|Golden Goggle]] Male Performance of the Year (since 2004): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,<ref name="phelpsbio"/> 2016<ref name="gg2016">{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/November/22/Michael-Phelps-Katie-Ledecky-Win-Big-At-Golden-Goggle-Awards-As-Team-USA-Celebrates-Rio-Success |title=Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky Win Big At Golden Goggle Awards As Team USA Celebrates Rio Success |first1=Nick |last1=McCarvel |date=November 22, 2016 |publisher=Team USA |access-date=November 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124025127/http://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/November/22/Michael-Phelps-Katie-Ledecky-Win-Big-At-Golden-Goggle-Awards-As-Team-USA-Celebrates-Rio-Success |archive-date=November 24, 2016 }}</ref>
* Golden Goggle Relay Performance of the Year (since 2004): 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,<ref name="phelpsbio"/> 2016<ref name="gg2016" />
* Golden Goggle Male Athlete of the Year (since 2004): 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014,<ref name="phelpsbio"/> 2015,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.centredaily.com/entertainment/celebrities/article45987195.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124150442/http://www.centredaily.com/entertainment/celebrities/article45987195.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 24, 2015 |title=Ledecky wins 3 trophies; Phelps earns 1 at Golden Goggles |first1=Beth |last1=Harris |date=November 23, 2015 |work=[[Centre Daily Times]] |access-date=November 25, 2015}}</ref> 2016<ref name="gg2016" />
* Golden Goggle Impact award: 2016<ref name="gg2016" />
* [[SwimSwam]] [[Swammy Awards|Swammy Award]] for Male Swimmer of the Year: 2016<ref>Neidigh, Lauren, [https://swimswam.com/2016-swammy-awards-male-swimmer-year-michael-phelps/ 2016 Swammy Awards: Male Swimmer of the Year Michael Phelps]. December 31, 2016</ref>
* [[USOC Athlete of the Year|USOC SportsMan of the Year Award]]: 2004, 2008,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|title=USOC Athletes of the Year |url=http://www.teamusa.org/resources/olympic-facts-figures/olympic-honors/usoc-athletes-of-the-year |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216074339/http://www.teamusa.org/resources/olympic-facts-figures/olympic-honors/usoc-athletes-of-the-year |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 16, 2010 |publisher=United States Olympic Committee |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref> 2011–12,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/09/18/12/phelps-and-felix-win-top-us-olympic-athlete-awards |title=Phelps and Felix win top US Olympic athlete awards |agency=Reuters}}</ref> 2016<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=http://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/September/28/US-Olympic-Committee-Announces-2016-Winners-For-Team-USA-Awards-Presented-By-Dow-Best-Of-The-Games |title=U.S. Olympic Committee Announces 2016 Winners For Team USA Awards Presented By Dow, Best Of The Games |date=September 28, 2016 |publisher=Team USA |access-date=September 30, 2016}}</ref>
* [[James E. Sullivan Award]]: 2003<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Phelps joins prestigious Sullivan list |last=Freeman |first=Rick |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2004-04-13-sullivan-award-phelps_x.htm |newspaper=USA Today |agency=Associated Press |date=April 13, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604114730/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2004-04-13-sullivan-award-phelps_x.htm |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[La Gazzetta dello Sport|''Gazzetta dello Sport'' Sportsman of the Year]]: 2003, 2004
* [[Laureus World Sports Award|Laureus World]] [[Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year|Sportsman of the Year Award]] (nominated): 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Nominees archive (2004) |url=https://www.laureus.com/awards/2004/nominees |publisher=Laureus.com |access-date=September 5, 2010 |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717044428/http://www.laureus.com/awards/2004/nominees |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Nominees archive (2005) |url=https://www.laureus.com/awards/2005/nominees |publisher=Laureus.com |access-date=September 5, 2010 |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717031802/http://www.laureus.com/awards/2005/nominees |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Nominees archive (2008) |url=https://www.laureus.com/awards/2008/nominees |publisher=Laureus.com |access-date=September 5, 2010 |archive-date=June 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601033917/http://www.laureus.com/awards/2008/nominees |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Nominees archive (2009) |url=https://www.laureus.com/awards/2009/nominees |publisher=Laureus.com |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref>
* [[Laureus World Sports Award|Laureus World]] [[Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year|Comeback of the Year Award]]: 2017<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web |url=https://swimswam.com/michael-phelps-named-laureus-world-comeback-year/ |title=Michael Phelps named Laureus World Comeback Of The Year |first1=Loretta |last1=Race |date=February 14, 2017 |publisher=Swimswam |access-date=February 15, 2017 }}</ref><ref name=Laureus />
* [[United States Sports University|United States Sports Academy]] Male Athlete of the Year: 2003, 2008<ref>{{Cite web |title=Outstanding Athletes of the Year {{!}} ASAMA // The American Sport Art Museum & Archives |url=https://asama.org/awards-of-sport/outstanding-athletes-of-the-year/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=asama.org}}</ref>
* ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' [[Sportsman of the Year]]: 2008<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Michael Phelps Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/19721.asp |work=Swimming World |date=December 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825214512/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/19721.asp |archive-date=August 25, 2012 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Associated Press Athlete of the Year]]: 2008, 2012
* [[Marca Leyenda]] award: 2008
* Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion, 2019, to recognize his advocacy for people with disabilities and his own journey with mental health.<ref name="Ruderman">{{#invoke:Cite|news |title=Olympian Michael Phelps Honored for Mental Health Advocacy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/01/08/us/ap-us-people-michael-phelps.html |access-date=January 8, 2019 |newspaper=NY Times |date=January 8, 2019 |archive-date=January 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109062227/https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/01/08/us/ap-us-people-michael-phelps.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
{{#invoke:Portal|portal|Biography|Olympics}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists]]
* [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games]]
* [[List of multiple Olympic medalists]]
* [[List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists]]
* [[List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games]]
* [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event]]
* [[List of top Olympic gold medalists in swimming]]
* [[List of individual gold medalists in swimming at the Olympics and World Aquatics Championships (men)]]
* [[World record progression 100 metres butterfly]]
* [[World record progression 200 metres butterfly]]
* [[World record progression 200 metres freestyle]]
* [[World record progression 200 metres individual medley]]
* [[World record progression 400 metres individual medley]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
<references />

==Further reading==
<templatestyles src="Refbegin/styles.css" /><div class="refbegin">
* {{#invoke:Cite|book |last=Phelps |first=Michael |year=2004 |title=Beneath the Surface |location=United States |publisher=Sports Publishing LLC |isbn=978-1-59670-352-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/michaelphelpsben00phel }}
* {{#invoke:Cite|book |last=Phelps |first=Michael |year=2008 |title=No Limits: The Will to Succeed |location=United States |publisher=Free Press |isbn=978-1-4391-3072-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/nolimitswilltosu00phel }}
* {{#invoke:Cite|book |last=Schaller |first=Bob |year=2008 |title=Michael Phelps: The Untold Story of a Champion |location=United States |publisher=St. Martin's Griffin |isbn=978-0-312-35737-5}}
</div>

==External links==
{{Sister project links|d=Q39562|c=Category:Michael Phelps|v=no|voy=no|b=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no}}
* {{sports links|properties=-P4063}}
* {{USA Swimming|new_id=michael-phelps|archive=20210602213826}}
* {{USOPC|new_id=michael-phelps|old_id=PH/Michael-Phelps|archive=20230625040136}}
* {{web archive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310185039/http://www.michaelphelpsfoundation.org/index.php |title=Official website of the Michael Phelps Foundation |date=mdy}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|rec}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= [[Tom Malchow]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[World record progression 200 metres butterfly|Men's 200-meter butterfly<br />world record holder (long course)]]
|years= March 30, 2001&nbsp;– July 24, 2019}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Kristóf Milák]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= [[Tom Dolan]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[World record progression 400 metres individual medley|Men's 400-meter individual medley<br />world record holder (long course)]]
|years= August 15, 2002&nbsp;– July 23, 2023}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Léon Marchand]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= [[Jani Sievinen]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[World record progression 200 metres individual medley|Men's 200-meter individual medley<br />world record holder (long course)]]
|years= June 29, 2003&nbsp;– July 30, 2009}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Ryan Lochte]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=<br />[[Andriy Serdinov]]<br />Ian Crocker<br />Milorad Čavić}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[World record progression 100 metres butterfly|Men's 100-meter butterfly<br />world record holder (long course)]]
|years= July 25–26, 2003<br />July 9–31, 2009<br />August 1, 2009&nbsp;– July 26, 2019}}
{{S-aft|after=<br />[[Ian Crocker]]<br />[[Milorad Čavić]]<br />[[Caeleb Dressel]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= [[Ian Thorpe]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[World record progression 200 metres freestyle|Men's 200-meter freestyle<br />world record holder (long course)]]
|years= March 27, 2007&nbsp;– July 28, 2009}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Paul Biedermann]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=[[Paavo Nurmi]]<br />[[Larisa Latynina]]<br />[[Mark Spitz]]<br />[[Carl Lewis]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists|Athletes with the most gold medals<br />at Olympic Games]]
|years= August 13, 2008&nbsp;– present}}
{{S-inc}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= Larisa Latynina}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[List of multiple Olympic medalists|Athletes with the most medals<br />at Olympic Games]]
|years=July 31, 2012&nbsp;– present}}
{{S-inc}}
|-
{{S-ach|aw}}
{{S-bef|before= Ian Thorpe<br />Grant Hackett<br />Ryan Lochte<br />[[Adam Peaty]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[List of Swimming World Swimmers of the Year|World Swimmer of the Year]]|years=2003–2004<br />2006–2009<br />2012<br />2016}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Grant Hackett]]<br />Ryan Lochte<br />[[Sun Yang]]<br />Caeleb Dressel}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= [[Michael Schumacher]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= ''[[La Gazzetta dello Sport]]''<br />Sportsman of the Year
|years=2003, 2004}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Roger Federer]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= Ryan Lochte<br />[[Mitch Larkin]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[List of FINA Athletes of the Year#Swimming|FINA Swimmer of the Year]]
|years=2012<br />2016}}
{{S-aft|after= Ryan Lochte<br />Caeleb Dressel}}
|-
{{S-bef|before= [[Lenny Krayzelburg]] &<br />Tom Dolan<br />Aaron Peirsol<br />Ryan Lochte<br />[[Ryan Cochrane (swimmer)|Ryan Cochrane]] &<br />[[Tyler Clary]]}}
{{S-ttl|title= [[List of Swimming World Swimmers of the Year#American Swimmers of the Year|American Swimmer of the Year]]|years=2001–2004<br /><br />2006–2009<br />2012<br />2015–16}}
{{S-aft|after= [[Aaron Peirsol]]<br /><br />Ryan Lochte<br />Ryan Lochte<br />Caeleb Dressel}}
{{S-sports|oly}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Todd Lodwick]]
| title = [[List of flag bearers for the United States at the Olympics|Flagbearer]] for United States
| years = [[2016 Summer Olympics|Rio de Janeiro 2016]]
| after = [[Erin Hamlin]]
}}
{{S-end}}

{{#invoke:Navboxes|top|title=Michael Phelps&nbsp;– navigation templates}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 200 m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 100 m Butterfly Men}}
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{{Footer Olympic Champions 400 m Individual Medley Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x200 m Freestyle Relay Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Medley Relay Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 200m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 100m Butterfly Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 200m Butterfly Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 200m Medley Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 400m Medley Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 4x100m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 4x200m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 4x100m Medley Men}}
{{Footer World SC Champions 200m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 100m Butterfly Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 200m Butterfly Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 200m Medley Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 400m Medley Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 4x100m Freestyle Men}}
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{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 4x100m Medley Men}}
{{Footer USA Swimming 2000 Summer Olympics}}
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{{Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year navbox}}
{{SI Sportsman of the Year}}
{{ESPY Male Athlete}}
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{{Hickok Belt}}
{{Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year}}
{{BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{#invoke:navboxes|bottom}}

{{#invoke:Authority control|authorityControl}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelps, Michael}}
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:American male backstroke swimmers]]
[[Category:American male butterfly swimmers]]
[[Category:American male freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:American male medley swimmers]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:American philanthropists]]
[[Category:BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award recipients]]
[[Category:James E. Sullivan Award recipients]]
[[Category:Laureus World Sports Awards winners]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)]]
[[Category:Michigan Wolverines men's swimmers]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Towson, Maryland]]
[[Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]]
[[Category:Swimmers from Baltimore]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Baltimore County, Maryland]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Towson High School alumni]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:World record holders in swimming]]
[[Category:American activists with disabilities]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]