Today in History 09/04/17

American swimmer champion Mark Spitz shows five of his seven Olympic gold medals, Aug 31, 1972 in Munich (© STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)(1972) Spitz rules the pool at Munich’s Olympic games
Swimming phenom Mark Spitz, 22, caps off 16 years of medal-winning competition with the biggest amateur athletics prize of all, Olympic gold. The famously mustachioed US swimmer takes a total of seven gold medals at the Munich Games, a record that will stand for 36 years.
Mark Andrew Spitz is an American former competitive swimmer, nine-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in 7 events. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich West Germany, an achievement surpassed only by Michael Phelps, who won eight golds at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Spitz set new world records in all seven events in which he competed in 1972. Spitz holds more medals than any other Jewish athlete in the history of the Olympics.
Born: Feb 10, 1950 (age 67) · Modesto, CA
Height: 6′ 0″ (1.83 m)
Spouse: Suzy Weiner (m. 1973)
Children: Justin Spitz (Son) · Matthew Spitz (Son)
Movies and TV shows: Freedom’s Fury · Emergency! · Challenge of a Lifetime
Education: Santa Clara High School
Highlights
  • 1965: At age 15 in Tel Aviv, Spitz won four gold medals and was named the most outstanding athlete.

  • 1972: During the Munich Massacre by Palestinian terrorists in the 1972 Olympics, Israeli racewalker Shaul Ladany awakened and alerted American track coach Bill Bowerman, who called for the U.S. Marines to come and protect American Jewish Olympians swimmer Spitz and javelin thrower Bill Schmidt.

  • 1973: Mark Spitz married Suzy Weiner on May 06, 1973.

  • 1985: In 1985, Spitz lit a torch to open the Maccabiah Games.

  • 2005: In 2005, he was a member of the U.S. delegation at the 17th Maccabiah Games.

  • 2007: He won five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games, setting a record that lasted until 2007 when Brazilian swimmer, Thiago Pereira, won six golds at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

wiki/Mark_Spitz
4.4.j17

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