The 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing, China, where Michael Phelps won eight gold medals. The Games ran from August 8 to August 24, 2008, and were officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
Beijing was selected as host city by the International Olympic Committee in 2001, defeating Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. It was the first time China had hosted the Olympic Games. Events were staged across Beijing and several other Chinese cities, with sailing held in Qingdao and equestrian events held in Hong Kong.
Phelps won gold in all eight events he entered, breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at one Olympic Games, set in 1972. His victories included individual races and relay events, and he set seven world records during the competition. A common mix-up is Athens: Phelps won six golds and two bronzes at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, four years before his record-setting performance in Beijing.