In 1954, a 25-year-old medical student by the name of Roger Bannister proved the impossible was possible when he became the first man to run the mile in less than four minutes.

1972 saw a US swimmer by the name of Mark Spitz, sans today’s ultra modern swimsuits; win an unprecedented seven Gold medals at a single Games.

Michael Phelps’s feat at the weekend was greater.

The American Eagle had landed. The Beijing pool his Sea of Tranquillity.

The 23-year-old had said all along he was confident of smashing Spitz’ 36 year old record by claiming eight golds in Beijing.

That he was able to deliver on his promise by setting seven new world records in the process was simply phenomenal.

In the United States itself, every NBA, NFL and MLB loving sports fan held their breath as one to see Phelps swim into history.

Not a bad achievement for a nation where swimming receives major airtime every four years. You guessed it, that date usually co-incides with the start of the Olympics.

Which brings me to Phelps’ marketability.

In an era where sporting stars such as Tiger Woods and David Beckham help sell everything from razors to raisins, what can the two metre tall swimmer from Baltimore expect?

Well for one, he won’t have to work again. Ever.

That may sound redundant but think about it. What other career gives you an opportunity to cash in on your achievements for decades after? Not many.

To a lesser extent, Australia’s new queen of the pool with three Olympic Golds, Stephanie Rice can expect to see sponsors cueing for her signature.

Cereals. Canned fruit. Muesli Bars.

This is the domain for those Australians who have achieved Olympic success.

Our national flag bearer, James Tomkins knew it. For years, packaged fruit never tasted so good for the Olympic rower.

Likewise, the gravy train can come to an abrupt end quicker than it can gather steam.

Grant Hackett’s failure in the pool certainly won’t help his post Olympics pay day with the corporate world.

Then there’s the price of fame.

Sure the celebrity circuit and the dollars can be attractive, but what about the long term loss of one’s privacy?

As 1960s American actress Marlo Thomas famously stated.

"Fame lost its appeal for me when I went into a public restroom and an autograph seeker handed me a pen and paper under the stall door".