Mark Spitz

Considered the Greatest Olympic athlete of all-time, Mark Spitz is synonymous with excellence. World renown and one of the most recognized faces in the World, Mark Spitz was voted Athlete of the Century in water sports and one of the six greatest Olympians ever by Sports Illustrated in 2000.

Mark Spitz won 11 Olympic medals over two Olympic Games but always will be best remembered for his remarkable seven gold medals at the 1972 Games. That summer in Munich, Spitz set four individual World records: 100-Meter (51.22), 200-Meter Freestyle (1:52.78), 100-Meter (54.27), and 200-Meter Butterfly (2:00.70). Mark Spitz also participated in three relay event World records: 4 x 100 Freestyle (3:26.42), 4 x 200 Freestyle (7:35.78), and 4 x 100 Medley (3:48.16). He swam the third leg of the 200 Freestyle and 100 Medley, and the last leg of the 100 Freestyle.

Mark Spitz's final victory came only hours before Palestinian terrorists took hostage and eventually murdered 11 Israeli athletes in the Munich Olympic Village. Mark Spitz was unceremoniously whisked out of the country under heavy security guard.

Between 1965 and 1972, Mark Spitz won nine Olympic gold medals, one silver, and one bronze; five Pan-American golds; 31 National U.S. Amateur Athletic Union titles; and eight U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships. During those years, he set 33 World records.

He was World Swimmer of the Year in 1967, 1971, and 1972. In 1971, Mark Spitz became the first Jewish recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award, given annually to the Amateur Athlete of the Year. In bicentennial year 2000, Sports Illustrated named Mark Spitz No. 33 on its list of the 'Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century'.

Mark Spitz is a highly requested public speaker throughout the World, having executed endorsements for Xerox, Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, John Hancock Financial Services, General Motors, General Mills, Swatch and many others. Mark Spitz will continue to be a very hot commodity as long as there is an Olympic Games somewhere in the world or the desire by a group to hear from one of the greatest living legends of all-time in sports. Mark Spitz travels the World speaking about Olympic and non Olympic topics. His memories of the terrorist attacks at the 1972 Games and the relevancy of the current geo-political climate make Mark Spitz a highly coveted keynote speaker.