Sports and politics do not have much in common, but the political rivalry between countries is often taken to sport events. But when that happens, we do enjoy a fair, challenging competition. In the 2012 Summer Olympic in London, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps made a historical achievement: he became the athlete with the most Olympic medals in history. He surpassed former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who had held the record for 48 years.