Aug 15, 2008 3:39 pm US/Eastern
'Baltimore Bullet' Phelps Wins 7th Gold Medal
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Michael Phelps poses with the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Men's 200-meter butterfly at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 13, 2008, in Beijing.
Mark Dadswell/Getty Images
Michael Phelps wins his 7th gold medal at the Beijing games, tying Mark Spitz for most in an Olympics.
Jessica Kartalija has more on how Maryland and the country has Phelps fever.
Phelps is already the most successful athlete in Olympic history with 12 gold medals overall.
Here at home, Phelps' fans are cheering him on, hoping he takes home another medal.
Race seven for Phelps ended with a seventh gold medal.
The 23-year-old has now matched the single games record of seven gold medals held by former U.S. swimmer, Mark Spitz.
Phelps fan Janice Damon organized a neighborhood block party in anticipation of the record breaking race.
"He is just an incredible kid and an incredible family. He's like your next door neighbor and that's what brings us all together," she said.
Phelps attended Towson High School.
"Michael is sincere, he's humble, he was just a bubbly adolescent who knew what he wanted to do," said Jane Barringer, principal of Towson High School. "When Michael walked into the door here at Towson High School, he had a dream and his dream was to raise the status of swimming and to go to the Olympics."
His teacher, Gerry Brewster, went with Phelps to the Athens Olympics.
"Early on, I asked the students what they did. And he said 'swimming' and I said 'Michael, are you any good?' He said 'not bad.' I said 'have you won any races?' He said 'a few.'"
Phelps trained at the Meadowbrook Aquatic and Fitness Center in Mount Washington, and for local swimmers, he's an inspiration.
"He's just amazing. It's so cool to see somebody who lives eight blocks away from me, and I can see him on TV winning in something as big as the Olympics. It's just awesome," said Michelle, a young Phelps fan.
Catherine Damon had an up close and personal encounter with the superstar athlete.
"I had to go to the pool that day. All my friends were going. It was the last day of school, and Michael drove me there in his Escalade. When I came up everyone was like 'Michael Phelps, he's here.' Then I got out of the car and it was really exciting," she said.
His got his seventh gold medal by winning the 100-meter butterfly by one-hundredth of a second. He'll compete in the 400-meter relay next.
Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in the 1972 Munich Games, and is considered one of the greatest Olympians ever.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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