Phelps home town giddy with pride

By Jon Hurdle

TOWSON, Maryland (Reuters) - As swimmer Michael Phelps made sporting history winning his eighth Olympic medal in a single Olympics on Saturday, his home town erupted in joy.

Around the country, many other Americans said his success lifted the national mood in tough economic times.

In Towson Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, all eyes were glued to TV sets as Phelps stepped into the Olympic pool for his final swim of the Olympics, the third leg of the 4x100 meters medley relay.

"It's great, it's awesome," said Joe Centineo, 24, of nearby Hampstead. "How often could you say you saw history being made?"

Hundreds of fans stayed in the stadium after a National Football League pre-season game between the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings to watch the race on giant screens.

They waved placards and chanted "USA, USA" as Jason Lezak, swimming the anchor leg, touched the wall to secure the win.

Cheers also erupted in the Greene Turtle sports bar in Towson as Phelps took the lead during his butterfly leg.

Phelps, 23, broke Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven golds at a single Games. He won six golds in Athens in 2004.

"I was in Germany when Mark Spitz won those seven gold medals, and I'd love Michael Phelps to top it," said Karen Bartol, a financial writer from Chicago, and a former competitive swimmer, before Phelps's final event.

"I think it's an incredible feat for Phelps and I'm in awe of him," said Bartol. "He has an incredible amount of endurance."

Nearby, an auto repair shop boosted Phelps and fellow local hero swimming Katie Hoff with an illuminated sign saying, "Go Phelps and Hoff, we are proud of you champs."

Phelps's quest transfixed Americans. The 4x100 men's freestyle relay, which gave Phelps his second gold, was viewed live by 81 million people while another 1.7 million saw the race via online video, NBC said.

In Miami Beach, Margarita Quiroz, a swimming pool cleaner originally from Colombia, said Phelps's success made her feel proud to be an American.

"VERY NATIONALISTIC"

"It makes me feel very nationalistic sitting in front of the television," she said. "I watch him every chance I get."