Mark Spitz, who trained at the Santa Clara Swim Club under coach George Haines (SJSHOF ’95), retired as the most decorated athlete in U.S. Olympic history.  The powerful butterfly and freestyle swimmer made his Olympic debut in 1968 in Mexico City, where he won individual silver and bronze medals plus two gold medals in relay events. At the 1972 Munich Games, Spitz was simply spectacular: seven races, seven gold medals, seven world records.

One of the finest athletes of the 20th Century, Spitz was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.