For Michael Phelps, nine is the number

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This week, American Michael Phelps made it clear that he’s ready to take on Olympic history, full force.

He is entered in nine individual events at the upcoming U.S. trials, the first step in his attempt to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at a single Games. The Baltimore native will swim the 100, 200 and 400 meters freestyle, the 200 and 400 individual medley, the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 100 and 200 butterfly.

Phelps, who came up one short of the record at the 2004 Athens Games, winning six gold and two bronze medals, will have to qualify alongside other hopefuls in Omaha for each event in which he hopes to compete at the Beijing Olympics in August. The trials run from June 29 through July 6.

If anyone can beat Spitz’s record, set at the 1972 Munich Games, it’s Phelps, who will turn 23 on June 30. He knows time is not on his side, though, as he told The Times’ Lisa Dillman last August: ‘London will be my last one -- 2016 is a long way away. Nine more years. I couldn’t do it. ... I will not swim when I’m 30 years old.’