Michael Phelps Debuts Eight Gold Medals on Sports Illustrated Cover
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps debuts his record-breaking eight gold medals on the new cover of Sports Illustrated (on stands Aug. 20).
The 23-year-old pays homage to Mark Spitz by draping the golds around his neck, just as Spitz did after he won seven golds in the 1972 Munich games.
The photo was taken on August 17 — the same day Phelps broke Spitz’s record for earning the most gold medals during one game.
It’s the fifth time Phelps — who has won 16 career medals, 14 of them gold — has appeared on the magazine’s cover (more than any other swimmer).
“He broke a record every time he went into the water,” Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonnell said in a statement. “He won eight gold medals, all on heart, ability and courage.”
SI isn’t the only place to spot Phelps.
His agent tells Access Hollywood that he’ll appear on Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes cereal boxes — not Wheaties — beginning in mid-September.
