NY TIMES

By the end of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps had put to rest the argument over who is the greatest American Olympian and perhaps the greatest from any country. By winning eight gold medals in eight swimming events in Beijing, shattering seven world records in the process, Phelps raised his haul of career Olympic medals to 16. Fourteen of them are gold. Phelps has dominated his sport like no other.

Even Mark Spitz, whose previous record of seven golds in one Games was surpassed by Phelps in Beijing, called him "maybe the greatest athlete of all time."

Phelps, 23, has run into trouble out of the pool following both of his triumphant Olympics. In 2004, he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and was fined as well as sentenced to probation and community service. He followed his Beijing success with a scandal after he was photographed using a marijuana pipe during a party in November. When the photo was published in a British tabloid in February, Phelps apologized but was suspended for three months by USA Swimming and lost one of his major sponsors, Kellogg.

Phelps has said he has yet to decide whether he will continue competing through the 2012 Olympics in London.

Whether or not he continues his Olympic career, Phelps has reached a level few athletes could even dream about.

If he were a country, he would have ranked fourth in gold medals at the Beijing Games. He eclipsed the record for most career gold medals, nine, which was shared by American track and field star Carl Lewis, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, Spitz and Russian gymnast Larysa Latynina.

His pursuit of Spitz's record of seven gold medals, set in Munich in 1972, began in 2004. But Phelps fell short, winning six gold and two bronze. In Beijing, he turned the drama into his own personal stage. He won gold in the 200 and 400-meter individual medley events, 100 and 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter freestyle and three relays.

"I wanted to do something nobody ever did," Phelps said. "This goes hand in hand with my goal of changing swimming."

The only record Phelps does not hold is most career medals. Latynina has 18, won over three Olympics from 1956-64.

He also currently holds seven world records.

Phelps grew up in Baltimore, but followed his longtime coach Bob Bowman to Michigan while Bowman coached the University of Michigan swim team for the past four years. Phelps could not swim for the school because he turned professional. Both Phelps and Bowman recently returned to Baltimore, where they again train at the North Baltimore Acquatic Club, which Bowman now runs.