Top 50 Players In Baltimore Sports History: Countdown 5-1

3. Micheal Phelps, Swimmer

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of Towson, Maryland, located just north of Baltimore. He recently opened a swimming school in Baltimore, teaching young kids how to swim properly by giving them lessons. He is not only the best swimmer of all time, but he is also, undoubtedly, the most decorated Olympian in history. He has won 22 medals including an all-time record of 18 gold medals, doubling the second-highest record holder.

He also holds the record for most Olympic medals won in an individual event with 11. In winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, Phelps took the record for the most first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. Five of those victories were in individual events, tying the single Games record. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four golds and two silver medals, making him the most successful athlete of the Games for the third Olympics in a row.

Phelps is the long course world record holder in the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual medley as well as the former long course world record holder in the 200-meter freestyle and 200-meter individual medley. He has won a total of 71 medals in major international long-course competition, totaling 57 gold, 11 silver, and 3 bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps announced before the 2012 Olympics that it would be his last one, so all he did was top off his career by earning six medals including four golds.