Michael Phelps received the World Swimmer of the Year award eight times.
Swimming World magazine recognized him in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2016. His 2016 selection gave him the overall record for the most wins of the global award. The honor is separate from the American Swimmer of the Year award, which Phelps won 11 times.
The award reflected Phelps's dominance across multiple Olympic cycles. He won six medals at Athens 2004, eight gold medals at Beijing 2008, six medals at London 2012, and six medals at Rio 2016. His 2008 season was especially influential because he broke Mark Spitz's record for gold medals at one Olympic Games.
A frequent source of confusion is counting other swimming honors alongside this award. Phelps also received FINA's Swimmer of the Year honor and numerous sports awards, but those are different titles. The number eight refers specifically to Swimming World's World Swimmer of the Year award.