Full Name: Michael Gross
Date of Birth: 17 th June, 1964
Country: Germany
Sport involved in: Aquatics—Swimming
Achievements made:
Winner of two World Championships titles in 1982
Gold medalist in the 200 meter freestyle swimming event in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
Winner of gold medal in the 100 meter butterfly swimming event in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
Silver medalist in the 200 meter butterfly swimming event and 4x200 meter freestyle relay event in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
Named “Male Swimmer of the Year” by Swimming World magazine in 1985
Won two World Championships titles in 1986
Winner of gold medal in the 200 meter butterfly swimming event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics
Bronze medalist in the 4x200 meter relay swimming competition in the 1988 Seoul Summer Games
Awarded the German “Athlete of the Year” four times in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1988
Winner of the 1991 World Championships title
Career: Michael Gross is considered to be the finest swimmer in the world in the 200 meter butterfly event between 1981 and 1988. Gross is also known as “The Albatross” because of his long arms. Between 1981 and 1988, the 200m butterfly swimming event was dominated by Gross, who won two world championships and four European championships and set four world records in the event. He won two World Championships titles in 1982. Gross participated in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games for the first time. In the Games, he won gold medals in the 200 meter freestyle and 100 meter butterfly swimming competitions. In the events, Gross set two world records. In the 200 meter butterfly event, Gross finished in the second place. He was a member of the silver medal winning 4x200 meter relay team. In 1986, Gross won two more World Championships title. In the 1988 Seoul Summer Games , Gross won another Olympic title in the 200 meter butterfly event. In the 4x200 meter relay swimming competition, his team finished in the third position. In 1991, Gross won the World Championships title for the fifth time and retired from professional swimming. Gross won a total of thirteen medals at the World Championships including five gold medals. He won fifteen gold medals at the European Championships. Gross was elected the German "Athlete of the Year" four times in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1988.
Performance at the Olympics: Michael Gross appeared in the Olympics for the first time in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games . He broke his own world record in the 200 meter freestyle swimming event and won his first Olympic title. Gross won the 100 meter butterfly event beating American Pablo Morales and setting yet another world record. In the 200 meter butterfly event, the favorite Gross finished in second place losing to Jon Sieben of Australia. In the 4x200 meter relay event, his team ended up winning silver medal. In his next Olympics appearance in the 1988 Seoul Summer Games , Gross won gold medal in the 200 meter butterfly swimming competition. Gross was also a member of the bronze medal winning team in the 4x200 meter relay competition.
