Michael Phelps, greatest Olympian ever?

[dougthonus]

After these Olympics, Phelps should hold or share the following records:
1) Most Gold Medals
2) Most Gold Medals in a single Olympics (should at least tie it even if he doesn't get all 8 to break it)
3) Most Medals in a single Olympics (already ties it at 8 and will remain tied)
4) Most Gold Medals in individual events
5) Most Gold Medals in individual events in a single Olympics

The only Medal related record he wouldn't own or share would be most total medals of any kind (some gymnast has 18, and Phelps barring something bizarre will have 16 medals when this Olympics is over). Assuming Phelps comes back to the 2012 games (even if he's no longer on top of the world he'll still probably be on a couple relay teams) he should be able to get at least 2 medals and tie that.

When his Olympic career is over, the smart money says that Phelps will have enough gold Medals to possibly set the record so far out of reach that we won't see it break in our lifetimes. He'll basically own or share every medal related record there is (besides lame stuff like most silver or bronze since he never finishes outside of first).

You could argue Jesse Owens is the greatest due to the meaning of his achievements outside of the Olympics itself. You could argue Carl Lewis because he's the only one to defend the 100 meter gold successfully and I think the only one to defend the long jump successfully (which he did 3 times), and that he was in 5 separate Olympics which is pretty insane for a track and field guy. However I think it's pretty easy to make the case for Phelps as well. Some skeptics may say it's easy to rack up medals in swimming, but no one else has ever done it, so I don't see why. The amount of endurance and technique and muscle groups required to excel at all the different strokes and to be able to successfully compete in all the different events seems like a pretty difficult bar to get over given that no one else has ever done it or come particularly close (at least no closer than gymnasts or track and field stars).

[Blame Rasho]

Yes... he still can compete in another Olympics which in itself is scary...

[BlackMamba]

i think that he not only will be swimming in 4 years, but has a clear shot at winning gold in maybe half of the events he's swimming right now. he will still be a young athlete at maybe his peak and after that his "decline" could start.

i have been amazed with how dominant he has been, but what amazes me is all the preparation behind him.

i would definitely say he's the greatest olympian.

[DelaneyRudd]

I think so, but I wouldn't call him undisputed yet. Fact is he has more opportunities for medals because he is a swimmer. Having a bunch of different strokes is like having a track race of each distance several times only one time you skip, and the next time you run backwards and then you have to hop.

[High 5]

Greatest swimmer hands down, but he does get more chances than anyone else. May and Walsh have won their last 100+ matches and over that stretch they can only win 2 medals. Of course, swimming 17 races without losing effectiveness is remarkable.

[BlackMamba]

WOW, what a race!!!!! phelps 50.58, cavic 50.59, phelps was always behind and in the last 10 meters he catched up.

if you guys were able to see the slow motion rep of when they get to the end is amazing, wow...

[GenericUsername]

MANBEAST

I am so excited.

This guy is ridiculous.

.01 of a second? Just because he had longer arms

[WEFFPIM]

To think that he can realistically do this again in '12 puts very little doubt in my mind that he's one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest.

[Parasight]

Simply unbelievable win. ONE ONE HUNDREDTH OF A SECOND! That's destiny friends.

[dbodner]

Greatest swimmer hands down, but he does get more chances than anyone else.

For me what's more important than the # of medals is the % he medals in. He's won gold in, what, 13 out of 15 events he's ever participated in? That's insane.

[High 5]

After the relay comeback and that race there, it's clear this was meant to happen. I wish he could end the Olympics with a dominant individual race.

[5DOM]

i love phelps, but i refuse to believe he is the greatest olympian ever, just because non-swimmers dont even have a chance at winning this many medals.

[dougthonus]

With his win tonight he now owns by himself
1) Most Career Gold Medals - team relays + individuals (13)
2) Most Career Gold Medals - just individual events (9)
3) Most Individual Olympics Gold Medals in individual events (5)

Tied but should break:
1) Most Individual Olympics Gold Medals (7 should get 8)

Tied:
1) Most Medals in a single Olympics (already tied and can't break since it's 8)

Only meaningful record he doesn't own at least tied right now which should be easily broken in 2012 if he competes:
Most career medals (15 going for 16 this Olympics), record is 18.

[dougthonus]

i love phelps, but i refuse to believe he is the greatest olympian ever, just because non-swimmers dont even have a chance at winning this many medals.

And yet no other swimmers do it, because it's just too hard to pull off that combination of endurance for longer events, speed for short ones, technique for each stroke as technique is massive in swimming, and muscle groups need to be developed differently for the different strokes.

Being able to dominate in all strokes vs someone who only specializes in one stroke and distance is a pretty amazing feat IMO.

[Tom Baker]

WOW, what a race!!!!! phelps 50.58, cavic 50.59, phelps was always behind and in the last 10 meters he catched up.

if you guys were able to see the slow motion rep of when they get to the end is amazing, wow...

No kidding. I replayed (PVR) the replay of the finish several times and they just showed it again after the medal ceremony. The Serbian swimmer touched the wall first. I don't know if he didn't press the pad hard enough... no idea how those electronic pads work. But that was bizarre. The Serbian beat him to the wall, but Phelps won.

They said the Serbians are protesting the result and there should be a decision in half an hour.

[5DOM]

i love phelps, but i refuse to believe he is the greatest olympian ever, just because non-swimmers dont even have a chance at winning this many medals.

And yet no other swimmers do it, because it's just too hard to pull off that combination of endurance for longer events, speed for short ones, technique for each stroke as technique is massive in swimming, and muscle groups need to be developed differently for the different strokes.

Being able to dominate in all strokes vs someone who only specializes in one stroke and distance is a pretty amazing feat IMO.

yeah, he is a dominant swimmer for sure, but you can't really compare a swimmer to other athletes (from different sports).

a weight lifter or a basketball player, for example, can only win one medal at a single olympics.
would you say kitajima, the japanese swimmer who has won 2 gold medals in beijing, is a greater olympian than the weight lifter simply because he's won more medals? maybe, maybe not.

but i do agree that phelps is easily one of the greatest olympians ever, and THE greatest swimmer.

[_SRV_]

Comparing competition in different sports is mission impossible, he's one of the greatest, and easily the greatest swimmer ever, I think he needs to compete at high level in the next Olympics (win 1 individual gold at least) to remove a lot of doubt about having this title, I'd still put Carl Lewis higher than him.

[canoner]

A T&F star cannot possibly win too many golds no matter how good he/she is, there are just not that many events one can compete in. If there were sprint races every 10 meters, then someone could have got a lot of golds I believe.

[02102007]

anyone have the video clip?

[High 5]

Too me it looked like Phelps won, but the human eye can't tell the difference between .01 seconds. The wall doesn't lie.