Olympic gold

News of the Year: Michael Phelps wins record eight gold medals at Summer Games in Beijing | The Editors

Associated Press/Photo by Bullit Marquez

Swimming may well be an unlikely candidate to produce the sports story of the year. But such was the case in Beijing, when American Michael Phelps stroked to a record-setting eight gold medals at the Olympic Games. The athletic feat ranks among the greatest in modern history and included all the requisite nail-biting drama and jaw-dropping dominance of an instant classic.

From a fingertip stunner to a come-from-behind shocker to several overwhelming breakaways, Phelps helped steer the focus of the Games onto athletic achievement over politics. His August swims combined with the record--shattering sprints of Jamaican Usain Bolt largely overshadowed the propagandistic aims of the Chinese government—namely, to demonstrate its glory to the world and obscure human-rights abuses.

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