Mark Spitz is a nine-time Olympic gold medalist and former competitive swimmer from Modesto, California. Furthermore, Mark Spitz is known as “Mark the Pool Shark.”
Table of Contents
Mark Spitz’s Early Life
Mark Spitz was born on February 10, 1950, in Modesto, California, United States. Aquarius is his zodiac sign, and he is presently 71 years old. In addition, his true name is Mark Andrew Spitz.
Arnold Spitz is his father’s name, and Lenore Sylvia is his mother’s name (Smith). In addition, his family is Jewish, with his father originating from Hungary and his mother from Russia, with the surname “Sklotkovick.
” When he was two years old, his father transferred him to Honolulu, Hawaii. He swam at Waikiki Beach every day throughout his stay in Hawaii. When he was six years old, his family relocated to Sacramento, California.
He started competing at his local swim club around this period. When he was fourteen, his family relocated to Santa Clara once again. In addition, he was the oldest of the three children. From 1964 to 1968, he attended and graduated from Santa Clara High School.
During these four years, he achieved national high school records in every stroke and distance. Later, he attended Indiana University as a re-dental student and member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity from 1968 until 1972.
Mark Spitz’s Career
When Mark Spitz was six years old, he began competing at his local swim club in Sacramento, California. He started swimming lessons with Sherm Chavoor at Arden Hills Swim Club in Sacramento when he was nine years old.
Source: SwimSwam
When he was 10 years old, he had one global age-group record and seventeen national records. At fourteen years old, he began training at the Santa Clara Swim Club under the direction of George F Haines.
From 1964 to 1968, he worked with Haines at SCSC and Santa Clara High School. In addition, when he was sixteen years old, he won the AAU national championships in the 100-meter butterfly.
At a local California event the following year, he set his first world record in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4:10.60. In 1965, he competed in his first international tournament, the Maccabiah Games.
He won four gold medals and was voted the most outstanding athlete of the competition. At the 1967 Pan American Games, he won five gold medals and broke a world record in the process. He worked hard during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, predicting that he would win six gold medals.
He did not, however, compete well, winning just two team gold medals in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay and the 4×200 meter freestyle relay. In addition, he placed second in the 100-meter butterfly and third in the 100-meter freestyle.
After a poor Olympic experience, he enrolled at Indiana University as a pre-dental student in 1968 and trained under famed Indiana Hoosiers swimming coach Doc Counsilman. Furthermore, under Counsilman’s guidance, he improved his form and was better prepared for the 1972 Olympics.
He made history by capturing seven Olympic gold medals in solo and team categories at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
In addition, in each of the seven events, he set a new world record. He did, however, declare his retirement shortly after his Olympic triumphs, which elevated him to the status of a sports celebrity.
He had also landed rich commercial opportunities by 1974, earning $6 million via endorsements and other business enterprises. With time, his fame began to wane, and he began to pursue other endeavors.
He performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” on television from 1973 to 1974. He has featured in a number of advertisements for Schick razors. He joined ABC Sports in 1976 and worked on a number of sports programs, including coverage of the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics and the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
After a few years as a broadcaster, he decided to pursue a career in real estate. In addition, he has worked on a number of business ventures with former NBA player Rick Barry throughout the years. In addition, he has had a lot of success as a motivational speaker.
Net Worth and Achievements
Mark Spitz was named World Swimmer of the Year by “Swimming World” magazine in 1967, 1971, and 1972. In 1971, he was also named the best amateur athlete in the United States, receiving the James E Sullivan Award.
In addition, in 1972, he was selected as the Associated Press Swimming Athlete of the Year. In 1979, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame; in 1977, he was inducted into the Swimming Hall of Fame; and in 1983, he was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
He is also a nine-time Olympic champion, having won nine golds, a silver, and a bronze medal in the Games. His professional swimming career and other commercial activities have netted him a large sum of money. His net worth is reported to be approximately $20 million US dollars. There is, however, no more information concerning his pay.
Mark Spitz’s Relationship
Suzy Weiner, a UCLA theater student, and part-time model started dating Mark Spitz. Suzy was also the daughter of one of his father’s business associates.
He and Suzy married on May 6, 1973, at the Beverly Hills Hotel, in a traditional Jewish ceremony, little than a year after the Munich Olympics. He and his wife, Suzy, also have two boys, Matthew and Justin.
His wife Suzy and currently lives in Los Angeles, California. When it comes to rumors and scandal, he hasn’t been a part of them until now.
He is also concentrating on his personal and business lives. Furthermore, he prefers to stay away from speculations and controversy.
Social Media and Body Measurements
Mark Spitz is 6 feet tall and 73 kg. He has brown eyes and gray hair. Aside from that, no additional details regarding his bodily proportions are available.
He is a frequent user of social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. His Instagram account, @markspitzusa, has a following of 7,359 people. He has 4,826 Twitter followers. On his official Facebook profile, he has over 13 thousand fans.