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Michael Phelps, the record-breaking Olympic swimmer, left Friday for Beijing, a trip tied to his new sponsorship deal with the automaker Mazda that is billed as China’s largest ever for a foreign celebrity. Phelps won eight gold medals in Beijing, breaking Mark Spitz’s record for most wins at a single Olympics. He also holds the record for most career golds with 14, a total he hopes to add to at the 2012 London Games. “The guy is a folk hero in mainland China,” said Chris Fenton, general manager of DMG North America, which brokered the deal between Phelps and Mazda. The Associated Press, AP photo
