BEST OF 2008: GLOBAL STARS -- MICHAEL PHELPS: AN INSPIRING OLYMPIAN

The man who now wears more gold medallions than black hip hop stars is, officially, Michael Phelps. This young American captured the imagination of the world when he won 8 gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the swimming events.

In person and in interviews, Michael Phelps has won audiences with his charm and sweetness and gentle nature. Michael Phelps' appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after his superhuman Olympic feat in Beijing 2008 proved that he's the real deal when it comes to America's Sweetheart.

(Photo of Michael Phelps from people.com)

BEIJING 2008 -- ON 08-08-2008 AND MICHAEL PHELPS WINS 8 GOLD MEDALS TO BECOME AN OLYMPIC LEGEND

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AUSPICIOUS NUMBER 8

THE NUMBER "8" IN CANTONESE MEANS "PROSPERITY" OR "TO PROSPER". AND WHAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER IT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE FOR GIFTED AMERICAN SWIMMER MICHAEL PHELPS WHO WON 8 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS TO BECOME THE GREATEST OLYMPIAN EVER!

JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THE CHINESE WERE RIGHT IN CHOOSING SUCH AN AUSPICIOUS DATE FOR OPENING THE BEIJING 2008 GAMES AND HAVING IT BE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OLYMPIC GAMES EVER!

THE WORLD AUDIENCE IS MORE MEDIA AND INTERNET SAVVY THAN EVER BEFORE AND THE AWARENESS OF THE OLYMPICS GAMES IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. THE WORLD IS TRULY MORE GLOBALIZED THAN ANYONE THOUGHT IT EVER WAS!

MICHAEL PHELPS' 8TH CROWNING OLYMPIC GOLD

HERE ARE SOME MORE PHOTOS OF MICHAEL PHELPS ON HIS JOURNEY TOWARDS HIS 8TH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN A SINGLE OLYMPIC GAMES.

PICTURES ARE FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

AMERICA'S NEW SWEETHEART

THE FACE OF A NEW POWER GENERATION

MICHAEL PHELPS BIO (FROM THE EVER-RELIABLE WIKIPEDIA)

PHELPS WAS BORN IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES ON JUNE 30TH 1985. HE IS NOW 6'4" TALL AND WEIGHS 91KG.
HE STARTED SWIMMING WHEN HE WAS SEVEN. HE, POSSIBLY, HAS THE BEST BODY AMONGST SWIMMERS. CHINA FINALLY GOT A GLIMPSE OF WHAT AN OLYMPICS SUPERSTAR LOOKS LIKE! FOR MORE DETAILS ON PHELPS, JUST CLICK ON THE HEADLINE, "AMERICA'S NEW SWEETHEART" TO GO TO THE WIKI PAGE.

THE PHOTO HERE IS FROM BBC.

MICHAEL PHELPS' DIFFERENT STROKES

IN WHATEVER CATEGORY HE SWAM, IT WAS ALWAYS THE MASTERSTROKE FROM MICHAEL PHELPS!

PICTURES FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

OLYMPIAN MICHAEL PHELPS

MICHAEL PHELPS -- PICTURES ARE FROM NEW YORK TIMES.

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS' MAN OF THE MOMENT - MICHAEL PHELPS

HERE ARE SOME SPECTACULAR PHOTOS OF MICHAEL PHELPS, THE MAN WHO HAS CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF THE WORLD WITH HIS TRULY OLYMPIAN FEAT -- WINNING EIGHT GOLD MEDALS IN AN OLYMPICS GAME. PICTURES ARE FROM THE VENERABLE NEW YORK TIMES.

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS PICTURES

POSSIBLY THE MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN AT THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS: MICHAEL PHELPS

THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS

FOR THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHS AND COMMENTARIES AND NEWS REPORTS ON THE BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008, I'D STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT READERS LOG ON TO THE NEW YORK TIMES (NYT) WEBSITE BY CLICKING ON THE TITLE OF THIS ENTRY. I WILL DO MY BEST TO UPLOAD PHOTOS FROM NYT ON THIS BLOG SO THAT YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY SEE THE PHOTOS WITHOUT HAVING TO LOOK FOR THEM ON THE NYT WEBSITE.

(PLEASE NOTE THAT SOME PHOTOS ARE TAKEN BY NYT'S OWN TEAM OF PHOTOGRAPHERS WHILE OTHERS ARE FROM WIRE SERVICES LIKE REUTERS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GETTY IMAGES ETC. NYT HAS AN EXCEPTIONAL KNACK FOR CHOOSING THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL IMAGES FROM ITS OWN IN-HOUSE TALENTS OR FROM OTHER NEWS PROVIDERS.)

ENJOY!

THESE PHOTOS OF SWIMMING-LEGEND-IN-THE-MAKING -- MICHAEL PHELPS -- WERE POSTED ON NYT.