Inprefix = st1 /Chinahe's known as "the Flying Fish"; inAmericathey call him "the Baltimore Bulet". Whatever you call him, American swimmer Michael Phelps looks destined  to become a household name across the world after breaking the Olympic record for most gold medals in a single Games.  Phelps's total of eight gold medals in Beijingput him one ahead of Mark Spitz's previous record set in 1972. Now people are already calling him the greatest Olympian of all time. But whether he is or not, what is it that makes Michael Phelps so good? A good place to start might be his physique . Phelps has the perfect body shape for a swimmer: his arm span is longer than his height, he has very flexible joints, huge lungs, and his incredibly large feet (size 14 in the US, size 49 inChina) act like flippers in the water. To feed his huge swimmer's body, Phelps eats an astonishing 12,000 calories a day, six times the average for a man of his age.  He then owes it to a swimsuit which has been making waves in the world of swimming. Designed by NASA, the American space agency, the suit is made of a special material which is said to help athletes swim 2% faster. Michael Phelps should spare a thought for his mum, who first pushed him into swimming as a way of making friends, and who believed in him when one teacher said he would never be a success. Whatever the reason for his success, Phelps admits there was perhaps also a bit of luck involving in winning his eight medals. "I guess eight is a lucky number for me, too, now. The opening ceremony started on 8/8/08. Maybe it was meant to be," he said. What makes Michael Phelps so popular?
He has broken the Olympic record for most gold medals in a single Games. He is equipped with the best swimsuit designed by an American space agency. He is a very lucky person with a lot of people to help him. He has a very good appetite and eats six times the average for a man of his age.