Sept. 24, 1994

Mark Spitz set the standard of excellence in American swimming by winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympics. Sixteen years later, the torch is passed to Matt Biondi, the butterflyer/freestyler who becomes the most decorated athlete of the Seoul Games by winning seven medals, including five gold.

The fifth gold comes tonight when he swims the second-fastest butterfly leg in history as the U.S. destroys the world record in winning the 4x100-meter medley relay. Biondi's other gold medals had come in the 4x200 free relay, 100 free, 4x100 free and 50 free. All that after he started out with a bronze in the 200 free and a silver in the 100 butterfly.

Afterward, Biondi says, "It's the path getting there that counts, not the cheese at the end of the maze."