Grupo Mayan Resorts: The American Swimming Legend - Mark Andrew Spitz
July 22nd, 2009
Born on 10th February, 1950, Mark Andrew Spitz is now a retired swimmer having won the adoration of American’s and the world at large, say the Grupo Mayan experts. Andrew remains in memory of many since he won an amazing record of 7-gold medals in a row, at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972. The record was only recently broken by Michael Phelps’ eight gold medals in 2008 Olympics.
Before that, Spitz had already won 9 Olympic golds, a silver and a bronze all between 1968 and 1972. His specialty was not only in Olympics. Within the same period, he had already won 5 Pan American golds, 31 titles of the US Amateur Athletic Union coupled by 8 tittles of the US National Collegiate Athletic Association. In these four years only, say the Grupo Mayan experts, Andrew Spitz set an awesome 33 world records in all. It was not a surprise at all then, when he was declared the World Swimmer of the Year for the three years running from 1969 through to 1972.
His first international appearance was the Maccabiah Games of 1965. He had been born and bred to win the swimmers accolades and Maccabiah was where his dreams gained shape. Only at the tender age of 15, Spitz had won 4 gold medals in Tel Aviv being named as the most outstanding and promising young athlete.
In 1967 Spitz went on to win 5 gold medals at the Winnipeg’s, V Pan American Games, a record that stood 40 years until 2007 when the Brazilian Thiago Pereira won 6 golds at Rio de Janeiro, say the Grupo Mayan professionals.
At the Summer Olympics of 1968 held in Mexico City, Spitz was already a holder of 10 world records. Although he had predicted winning six golds, he only managed two team golds for the 4 x 100m freestyle and the 4 x 200m freestyle relay.
He returned to Israel for the Maccabiah Games in 1969 after the Mexico Olympics and this time he won 6 gold medals. Again, he was unanimously named the most outstanding and promising athlete. His heart fell for Maccabiah Games where his star first shone and in 1985, he proudly lit the ceremonious torch to open an edition of the Maccabiah games. Recently, in 2005 to be precise, he was admitted as a U.S. delegation member at the Maccabiah Games, 17th edition. In the same edition, say the Grupo Mayan experts, he gave a speech at the opening ceremonies, in Richmond, Virginia.
Leading to the Munich Olympics, Spitz’s winning streak was on and he went on to win tens of other awards. He however decided to retire from competitions after the Munich success although he was only 22. Spitz was ranked No 33 by ESPN Sports Century’s 50 Greatest Athletes in 1999, the sole aquatic athlete to ever make it to the list, say the Grupo Mayan experts.