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TERROR AND TRAGEDY On September 5, less than 24 hours after

Spitz won his sixth gold medal by edging out

teammate Jerry Heidenreich in the 100-meter freestyle. This topped the previous record for a man of five gold medals at a single Olympic Games won by Italian fencer Nedo Nadi at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium. When Spitz secured his seventh gold medal, won as part of the 400-meter medley relay team, his U.S. teammates celebrated the moment by carrying him around the pool on their shoulders. Spitz is one of just five Olympians to win at least nine career gold medals.

Spitz’s historic seventh gold medal, Palestinian terrorists attacked Israeli quarters in the Olympic Village, killing an Israeli coach and wrestler and taking nine other Israeli teammembers hostage, all of whomwere later killed. Spitz, who is Jewish, was flown to London because some feared he might be a target.

36 YEAR STRETCH

Spitz held the record for most gold medals (seven) won at a single Olympic Games for 36 years, until Michael Phelps broke it by winning eight gold medals in 2008 at the Beijing Games.

American Wins Seven Gold Medals

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