I was gonna say that Carl Lewis is up there as a great Olympian.
What about Mark Spitz? Did Phelps basically beat him in every category and more? Can we compare them in different eras?
michael phelps breaks all time medal record
- Thread starter bababuey
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What about Mark Spitz? Did Phelps basically beat him in every category and more? Can we compare them in different eras?
He sure did. Spitz himself had admitted that it was much easier for him to win 7 golds back in the day. He was essentially competing against the rest of the US team since the rest of the world was so far behind. In Phelps' case competition was much more serious.
These are all running related race so he can always try...
* 100 m
* 200 m
* 400 m
* 800 m
* 1,500 m
* 5,000 m
* 10,000 m
* 20 km walk
* 50 km walk
* 4 x 100 relay
* 4 x 400 relay
* 3,000 m Steeplechase
* 110 m hurdles
* 400 m hurdles
* Marathon
* He could even try long jump, triple jump...
Similar but different disciplines, like swimming. I realize there is a big difference between a sprinter and a long distance runner, however there are also big differences between someone who specializes in front crawl, breast stroke, back stroke and the butterfly.
Or he could have just added 400 metres (not that much of a stretch compared to Phelps who did 100m fly and 400 IM), 110 metres hurdles ( which is still a sprint so he should be good at that, right?), 400 metres hurdles, and 4×400 metres relay to have a shot at 8 medals. Any way you look at it, what Phelps did is beyond human. It's like winning multiple disciplines in alpine skiing ("you are still going downhill so it's all the same" kind of stupidity) or even cross-country skiing. Just think about this for a moment without being judgmental. Anyone who ever tried comepting in swimming would know that winning in multiple styles is extremely hard.
Stole some of these facts off of a yahoo article. Interpret it how you like, but to me it's pretty definitive...
- Start with the golds. Phelps has six more than anyone else. If he wins his last three events in London, he'll have twice as many as anyone else.
- Soviet-era gymnast Larisa Latynina previously held the record for total medals, winning 18 over a span of three Olympics from 1956-64. From there, the dropoff is significant. Next on the list is another Soviet gymnast, Nikolai Andrianov, with 15 medals. Three others captured 13. Just 23 more - in both Summer and Winter Games - have as many as 10. If Phelps was a nation, he would be tied for 57th on the Summer Games medal list and closing in on India, the second-most populous nation on the globe.
- Phelps won the most gold medals at a single games, his eight-race sweep in Beijing four years ago. In retrospect, the Great Haul of China looks even more impressive. While it's said that every record is made to be broken, it's hard to see anyone topping that mark. Equaling it at best, and that will be tough enough.
- Start with the golds. Phelps has six more than anyone else. If he wins his last three events in London, he'll have twice as many as anyone else.
- Soviet-era gymnast Larisa Latynina previously held the record for total medals, winning 18 over a span of three Olympics from 1956-64. From there, the dropoff is significant. Next on the list is another Soviet gymnast, Nikolai Andrianov, with 15 medals. Three others captured 13. Just 23 more - in both Summer and Winter Games - have as many as 10. If Phelps was a nation, he would be tied for 57th on the Summer Games medal list and closing in on India, the second-most populous nation on the globe.
- Phelps won the most gold medals at a single games, his eight-race sweep in Beijing four years ago. In retrospect, the Great Haul of China looks even more impressive. While it's said that every record is made to be broken, it's hard to see anyone topping that mark. Equaling it at best, and that will be tough enough.
Nothing left for Phelps to prove. I've never seen Phelps lose in any butterfly events until now. This prob signals, it is time for him to hang it up after London.
It's quite the achievement..... consider that's he's personally earned more medals than the entire Canadian team did in the 08 summer games....
OTB
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NO. How is it a level playing field for people who participate in other sports where there aren't 20 different combinations for there event
Lochte now has 5 Gs, 3Ss, 3Bs. Does that make him better than the Decathlete who may have won titles 2 OLYs in a row, or the marathon runner that won two straight Olympics, for that matter? Do you think he's really a better Olympian than Jackie Joyner Kersee, or Bubkta or Daley Thompson?
Maybe they should for example conjure up 50m, 150m, 250m, 300m sprints and 4 by 50, 4 by 100, 4 by 150, 4 by 250, and a 4 by 400 Medley etc etc for Track Athletes to garner even more medals.
He's the most decorated, but not necessarily the greatest Olympian. That is up for debate.
Anyway, the real Olympics start today (I say cheekily).
Why is that? Because Usain didn't run the 50m, 150m, 250m, 4 by 50, 4 1by 150, 4 by 250, and the 4 by 400 medley?
What Usain did in 2008 made Americans shift their focus from track to Swimming (with a little help from what he did in Berlin 2009). When you make big bad America flabbergasted and run and hide that is a great feat!
Usain became HUGE in Phelp's country. Usain became a global icon with his face everywhere. I mean everywhere. Every corner and crevice. Not so with Phelps. I guarantee you that if Bolt were American he'd be even bigger. That's scary.
Were you serious when you posted that?!?!?!?! If you were then I'd have to say I am very worried about you. But then, you probably know zero about track. I don't know where to begin in addressing your post. Maybe it's better being left alone. I'm still in shock that someone even posted this. That'd be the day when a human competes in the 100, 200, 400, the 800, the 5000, 10,000 and then the marathon in one Olympics. Nevermind considering the scheduling alone. Think about the human body. Ok, I'm no longer in shock. I'm laughing uncontrollably!
When you get a chance, please watch all the Track and field events, and see if you can see any difference in the way each athlete is built. For example, tell me if you see a difference in the sprinter and the 800m. Throw in the 10,000m runner if you will. And if you really wanna get funky, consider the walkers. I'll be even more worried if you start to admire their movements. lol
PS: If you're a swimming expert, could you please tell me what the injury rate in swimming is like.
In case nobody mentioned this. Michael sold his Baltimore condo for $1.2million (he originally paid $1.6million). Yes, the housing meltdown affected him as well.
Until you show me someone else who can win 8 GOLD medals in one game and break like 6 world records in the game, the argument to moot. You can argue that Bolt could've gotten more medals if he ran more races, but the fact is that he didn't so we'll never know if he's just as good at other distances.
Correction - 7 World Records and 1 Olympic Record. And I agree, we can argue all we want but there's no way to know for certain.
Thanks for your concern, but the post was a "tongue in cheek" response to the person who implied that all swimming events are basically the same.
Mind you, the athletes who participate in the decathlon are in a whole different category....
Maybe the Olympics need more different types of races like they do in swimming. How about running the 100, 200, etc. backwards?
nah, all I need is beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, and gymnastics :biggrin1:
That is why most people with common sense have already said that while Phelps is the most decorated, he is NOT the greatest Olympian. Being the greatest Olympian goes beyond mere medal count, especially when you get 100 opportunities to get these medals when other dominant souls get 1 chance per OLYs, like Daley Thompson and Bubka!
Just in case you didn't know, before Bolt started running 100m he was a 200m and 400m specialist and DOMINATED these races at junior level. He tried the competitive 100m one day and whipped the 100m World Champion and decided he liked it. The rest is history.
You can tear yourself up over why Bolt is a FAR BIGGER global icon that Phelps.
Who do you think is considered the greatest basketball player of all time?
Swimming events are no where near as diverse as a 100m is from a 5,000m, for example. And there is not enough different distant races with mods for track athletes.
PS: You could also consider who is more injury prone: a swimmer or sprinter.
PPS: Anyway, this all doesn't matter anyway because the banner event of each and every Olympics are the sprints. They are the ones who are most remembered in the Olympic sporting world.
