Which athlete won eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing?
Answer
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Phelps achieved this total in swimming, competing in individual and relay events. His eight victories surpassed the previous record of seven gold medals at one Olympics, set by American swimmer Mark Spitz at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley and 400-meter individual medley.
He also helped the United States win the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, 4×200-meter freestyle relay and 4×100-meter medley relay. The final relay produced one of the closest finishes of the Games, with the United States beating France by 0.08 seconds.
Phelps finished Beijing with eight golds and seven world records, although one record involved the 4×100-meter relay split rather than a single swimmer’s individual race. Across his Olympic career, he won 28 medals, including 23 golds.