Editing Mark Spitz (section)

===1968 Olympics===
{{See also|Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Summer Olympics}}
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|Header=Olympic medal record|Mark Spitz 1969 Panini card.jpg|220px|Spitz c. 1968}}
{{MedalSport | [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the USA}}
{{MedalGold| [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle relay]] |3:31.7}}
{{MedalGold| [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle relay]] |7:52.3}}
{{MedalSilver| [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre butterfly|100 m butterfly]] |56.40}}
{{MedalBronze| [[Swimming at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle|100 m freestyle]] |53.00}}
{{MedalBottom}}

Spitz was already the holder of ten world records, and he brashly predicted that he would win six gold medals at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]] in [[Mexico City]]. However, he won only two team golds: the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in 3:31.70, and the 4×200-meter freestyle relay in 7:52.33.<ref name=sroprofile>[https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sp/mark-spitz-1.html Mark Spitz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730011411/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sp/mark-spitz-1.html |date=July 30, 2008 }}. sports-reference.com</ref>  In addition, Spitz finished second to fellow American [[Doug Russell (swimmer)|Doug Russell]] in the 100-meter butterfly. He lost to Russell by a half second, despite holding the world record and having beaten Russell the previous ten times they had swum against each other that year.<ref>He also won a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle in 53.00 seconds at the same games. [http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=20272 International Olympic Committee – Athletes<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Russell did briefly match Spitz's world record in late August 1967, holding the record equally with Spitz for five days before Spitz regained it solely on October 2, 1967. As a result of being beaten by Russell, Spitz did not get to swim in the 4×100-meter medley relay, which gave Russell his second gold medal and the USA team another world record performance.