The U.S. Olympic team swimming cap worn by Michael Phelps when winning his historic eighth Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 100m medley relay at the 'Wat

The U.S. Olympic team swimming cap worn by Michael Phelps when winning his historic eighth Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 100m medley relay at the 'Water Cube' Beijing 17th August 2008, the black Speedo cap printed both sides with the American flag and inscribed PHELPS, one of the flags signed by Michael Phelps in black marker pen; sold together with a signed letter of authenticity from Michael Phelps to the present vendor, written on London hotel notepaper, dated 26th August 2008 and reading ''This is to certify that the swimming cap I have given to Mr Thomas Brown is the cap that I wore in Beijing 2008 to win my 8th gold medal and beat the Olympic record set by Mark Spitz of 7 Olympic golds''; the lot also including two scanned copies of photographs of Michael Phelps with the vendor taken in London, one being at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon (4) On 17th August 2008 Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz's 36-year-old record of seven gold medals in a single Olympic Games. This historic feat comprised of eight winning performances in the 400m Individual Medley, the 4x100m Freestyle Relay, the 200m Freestyle, the 200m Butterfly, the 4x200m Freestyle Relay, the 200m Individual Medley, the 100m Butterfly and the 4x100m Medley Relay. Seven of the gold medals were won in new World Record times, the eight set a new Olympic Record. In addition to this achievement at a single Olympic Games, Phelps also became the winning-most Olympian of all time with a total of 14 gold medals, the first six being won at Athens in 2004 together with two bronzes. Still only 23, Phelps has publicly pledged to compete at London in 2012 in a bid to increase his phenomenal medal tally even further. Only the Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina has won more career medals with a total of 18 (nine gold) spanning the three Olympic Games between 1956 and 1964. Michael Fred Phelps was born 30th June 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland. In his childhood he was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He started swimming at the age of seven partly through the influence of his elder sisters Whitney and Hilary, who were both excellent swimmers, and partly to provide him with a channel for his abundant energy. By the age of 10 Phelps was the American record holder for his age group and by 15 he had achieved Olympic qualification for the Sydney Games of 2000, finishing 5th in the 200m butterfly. Five months after Sydney, in the same event, Michael Phelps became the youngest male to set a swimming world record, and then broke his own record again to win his first World Championship title in 2001 at Fukuoka in Japan. The proceeding seven years have been a path of unparalleled success in the pool. On his way back to the USA from China, Michael Phelps travelled to London, on what was his first visit to the UK capital, and where he aims to continue his extraordinary Olympic story in 2012. He took part in the official handover ceremonies in the Mall that coincided with the Closing Ceremonies in Beijing that included the Olympic Flag being passed to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. The present vendor of the swimming cap was Michael Phelps's security guard during his stay which additionally included sightseeing trips and a visit to The All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, where he received special permission to knock a few balls on the hallowed Centre Court. Before he returned to the USA, Michael Phelps gifted the swimming cap he used to win his 8th gold medal to the vendor as a thank you for his services during his stay in London. The vendor will be using the proceeds from the sale to help his daughter who requires hospital treatment.