Michael Phelps wins record eighth gold

( McClatchy-Tribune photo / August 17, 2008 )

Michael Phelps holds a U.S. flag after winning his eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games, breaking Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record for golds in a single Olympics. The Rodgers Forge native capped his historic run by helping the U.S. 4 x 100 medley relay team win the gold medal in a world-record time of 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds.