Seems like the Munich Olympics where Spitz did so well were really bloody, and not just because of the terrorist attack. The guy competing against Spitz left clouds of blood in the pool, and still led Spitz at one point.
Michael Phelps, left, is attempting to surpass Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Games. He has won all of his races in world-record time, as Spitz, right, did in 1972. (The Associated Press)
And although Spitz and Phelps have much in common athletically, they are far different people. Phelps is sociable, just one of the guys, and other swimmers like him. Spitz was considered by many Olympic teammates to be detached, remote and given to mind games.
The Munich swim competition started with the 200-meter freestyle, and the best in the field were Spitz and his teammate Steve Genter. Six days before the 200 heats, Genter suffered a partly collapsed lung. Doctors cut open his chest, drained the fluid and stitched him together. They told him to forget about swimming in the Olympics.
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