I’m almost afraid to post this at #5 for the potential backlash because it should be higher on the countdown. But, I have other moments that were really special to me so he’s getting the #5 spot. And hey, 5 is my  fave number so it’s almost like being #1 in my world…..

Michael Phelps.

Why?

Um, eight gold medals in a single Olympics. Which surpassed the previous record of 7 set by Mark Spitz in 1972. Do you really need another reason? Okay. How about

• He has 14 Olympic gold medals (16 including bronze/silver) to date. He has 48 career medals: 40 gold, six silvers and two bronze.

• It was one of the most exciting finishes in Olympic history
• He has been named World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and American Swimmer of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008. In 2005 they decided to give it to some other guy just to be fair.
• He won SI’s Sportsman of the year for 2008.
• His body is just SICK!

hmmm….maybe he should have been #1 on my list too! Oh well! Gotta be different!

Up Next: #4 The Boston Three-Party

go back to #6: The Cinderella story of the Tampa Bay Rays

and also check out my Top Sports Commercials of 2008.

About the author: Jennifer Taglione is the owner of this fabulous website Stiletto Sports. Despite writing well over 500 posts, she still maintains that she is not a sports writer! She is however a huge fan of Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Mark Sanchez, the Celtics, and totally kicks butt on March Madness brackets! Connect with her by following her on Twitter @StilettoSportsJ and subscribing to her weekly newsletter. For more info check out the About the Editor page!

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