Mark Spitz National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles. During those years, he set 35 world records, but two were in trials and unofficial. He was named World Swimmer of the Year in 1969, 1971, and 1972 by "Swimming World Magazine". He was the third athlete to win nine Olympic gold medals. Spitz was born in 1950 in Modesto, California, the first of three children of Lenore Sylvia (Smith) and Arnold Spitz. His family is Jewish; his father's family was from Hungary and his mother's, originally surnamed "Sklotkovick", were from Russia. When Spitz was two years old, his family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii,
Mark Spitz 4:10.60 and emerged on the world swimming stage. Spitz swam in his first international competition at the 1965 Maccabiah Games. At age 15 in Tel Aviv, he won four gold medals and was named the most outstanding athlete. He returned to Israel in 1969 following the Mexico Olympics to again compete in the Maccabiah Games. This time, he won six gold medals. He was again named outstanding athlete of the Games. In 1985, Spitz lit a torch to open the Maccabiah Games. In 2005, he was a member of the U.S. delegation at the 17th Maccabiah Games. He spoke at