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,
Speed skating at the 1968 Winter Olympics Speed skating at the 1968 Winter Olympics Speed skating at the 1968 Winter Olympics, was held from 4 February to 12 February. Eight events were contested at L'Anneau de Vitesse in Grenoble, France. The Netherlands topped the medal table, with nine medals, three of each type. Three tied events meant that only five bronze medals were awarded. The gold medal won by Erhard Keller was the first medal in speedskating for West Germany as a separate country. Five athletes shared the top of the individual medal table, with one gold and one silver each: Kees Verkerk and Carry Geijssen of