Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympic champion in history.

(Baonghean.vn) - With 22 gold medals in hand, the American swimmer continues to affirm his position as the most successful athlete in Olympic history.

In the individual event alone, Michael Phelps has just surpassed the record held by Leonidas of Rhodes, a sprinter from ancient Greece and one of the greatest record-breakers in history. Leonidas was the most famous runner in the four Olympiads in 160, 156, and 152 BC, winning the races 12 times.

Michael Phelps, whose full name is Michael Fred Phelps, was born on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland, a US state. In 2000, at the age of 15, he became the youngest male swimmer in 68 years to represent the US at the Olympics. Although he didn't win any medals that time, just five months later, Phelps broke the world record in the 200m butterfly, becoming the youngest swimmer to break a world record. In the five years from 2000 to 2004, Phelps broke the world record five more times in individual medley and butterfly events. And since then, the American swimming legend has conquered a series of glorious career milestones with numerous titles.

In the next three Olympic Games, from Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 to London 2012, Phelps almost completely dominated the Olympic swimming event, with some even saying: "Every time Phelps jumps into the water, it's a gold medal." Looking back at his career, at the Athens 2004 Olympics in Greece, Phelps won 6 gold medals and 2 silver medals, equaling the record for the most medals won by an individual in a single Olympic Games (set by gymnast Alexander Dityatin in 1980). In addition, Phelps broke and held many world records in swimming, and he was voted World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Phelps competed in eight events (five individual and three team) and won all eight gold medals, setting seven world records and one Olympic record. With a total of 14 gold medals, he broke the record for the most Olympic gold medals won in his career and also set the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympic Games. Phelps' achievement of winning eight gold medals in all the events he competed in earned him the admiration of all his competitors.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps performed exceptionally well, winning four gold and two silver medals, the best performance among swimmers at the 2012 Olympics. It seemed as though Phelps would end his glorious career, with a total of 22 medals including 18 gold from four Olympic Games, with a retirement announcement, but two years later he unexpectedly announced his return to competitive swimming.

The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, his fifth Olympic appearance, was marked by four gold medals in the 4x100m relay, 200m butterfly, 4x200m relay, and 200m individual medley, making him the leading medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Although Michael Phelps will continue to compete in the 100m butterfly in the coming days, the opportunity for more medals is entirely possible. In total, Phelps has won 26 medals so far, including 22 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze – an incredible achievement for an athlete, an unbelievable record in Olympic history. No one in Olympic history has won more gold medals than Michael Phelps; that statement remains true as the Rio 2016 Olympics unfolds. Michael Phelps has become the athlete with the most gold medals of all time, breaking every record in Olympic history.

Economically, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Michael Phelps' current net worth (i.e., assets after taxes) is over $55 million. This figure places the swimming superstar, who just won his 22nd gold medal, among the wealthiest stars in the Olympic world, alongside Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Neymar Jr.

It is said that if Michael Phelps were a nation, it would rank 35th out of 207 countries and territories in the Olympic rankings, with 22 gold medals. It must be said that it will be a very long time before any athlete surpasses the American swimmer's achievements. It took 2,168 years for Michael Phelps to surpass the record of 12 individual victories held by Leonidas of Rhodes, an ancient Greek water runner; who knows how many thousands more years it will take for someone to break the American swimmer's record?

An Thanh