Phelps or Bolt

[dougthonus]

It is worth pointing out that 4 of Phepls' 8 golds came from relays. Had Phelps come from another country without other world class swimmers it would be impossible to win those medals. Also in other events that do not have team competitions or this many of them, athletes don't get this many extra opportunities to win gold medals.

What is most individual golds anyone has won in a single game in the history?

3 of his events came from relays.

Phelps owns the record for both single and career Olympic individual golds with 5 (single) and 9 career. The previous records were 4 and 8.

[fame]

I understand the people who say Bolt needs to win the 200m, 400m and so on to be considered the best olypian. But to say he has to win the Long jump, Triple Jump, just because there all considered track and field isn't fair. It's like saying Phelps has to win the synchronized diving, and water polo to be considered the best, because they all involve a pool.

[dougthonus]

I understand the people who say Bolt needs to win the 200m, 400m and so on to be considered the best olypian. But to say he has to win the Long jump, Triple Jump, just because there all considered track and field isn't fair. It's like saying Phelps has to win the synchronized diving, and water polo to be considered the best, because they all involve a pool.

Tell that to Carl Lewis.

Phelps is the undisputed greatest swimming Olympian of all time. I don't think anyone would even begin to make the case against him.

Carl Lewis is the undisputed greatest track athlete of all time and did long jump, sprinting, and team relays. For Bolt to get into the conversation means he needs to trump Carl Lewis IMO.

Though in actuality my inclusion of the long jump, triple jump, etc was more facetious because someone said that if there were hopping and running backwards that Bolt could dominate.

[Posey H8er]

Wait it is easier to dominate swimming? Phelps is the best swimmer at the breaststroke, freestyle, and the butterfly. Give Bolt a lot of credit because he is the world's fastest man, but there will be a new record broken the next Olympics and probably the next one later. Against their respective competition Phelps seems to be the more dominate athlete.

[5DOM]

I don't expect 100m sprint WR to change as many times as most of the swimming records (until Bolt decides to give full effort, that is). Previous Olympics record for 100m was actually from 12 years ago.

And Bolt's performance yesterday was just as dominant as any of Phelps' race, if not more dominant. Did you really watch Bolt's run?

[Posey H8er]

Yes and it was amazing. But I think we will see another Usain Bolt before we see another Michael Phelps.

[eyeatoma]

But I think we will see another Usain Bolt before we see another Michael Phelps.

Right cuz shattering the world record in the 100metres when you're not even trying 1/4 of the way is common place. I don't think you're able to grasp the sheer magnitude of what he's done. First he's broken the world record, that too without trying. But even more impressive is that he does not have the body of a short distance runner. Most 100m sprinters are no more than 5'10, maximum 6'0...

Usain Bolt is 6'5...Experts say that taller athletes theoretically should not be able to run as fast as their colleagues because they don't have as low a center of gravity, and its harder for them to get the necessary acceleration at the beginning of the race. This is actually the case for Bolt. He had the seventh reaction time of the 8 participants. Yet he was still able to shatter the world record? Are u kidding me??? Who else have you seen compete in the 100metres that fits the description?

Michael Phelps is actually emulating Mark Spitz, who had 7 gold medals. Phelps beat him by 1 medal...

Nobody in the 100metres has ever gone about a race in the manner that Usain Bolt has...

[5DOM]

9.69 is probably already close to human limit

[SportsWorld]

I'm sorry I just find it funny that the posters from Canada and fighting hard for Bolt. I leave for 13 hours and you guys are still relentless about this.
Bolt's record time will likely be broken while I don't think anyone will ever get 9 gold medals in an Olympics.

[eyeatoma]

I'm sorry I just find it funny that the posters from Canada and fighting hard for Bolt. I leave for 13 hours and you guys are still relentless about this.
Bolt's record time will likely be broken while I don't think anyone will ever get 8 gold medals in an Olympics.

Fixed...

Mark Spitz had 7 gold medals in one single games...Phelps beat him by one medal...Spitz set the record in 1972...It took 46 years for the record to be broken. Thats a hell of a long time, but it can be done. Never say never...

There was a time people though no one would be able to break 10 seconds flat in the 100 metres...We all know what happened with that theory...

[fame]

I'm sorry I just find it funny that the posters from Canada and fighting hard for Bolt. I leave for 13 hours and you guys are still relentless about this.
Bolt's record time will likely be broken while I don't think anyone will ever get 9 gold medals in an Olympics.

What if there's a Bo Jackson hybrid type athlete. Who wins like 4 medals in swimming, 2 in track, and 3 in rowing.

One day there will be, and it'll be awesome.

Realisticly I'm sure everybody was saying the same thing when Mark Spitz got his 7. There will eventually be another swimmer who comes along...Masters a couple strokes, and enters more events than Phelps did. He'll win 9 medals and everyone will talk about how he is the greatest olympian.

Bolt's record likely will be broken soon...But it'll probably be broken by him.

[Susan]

I'm sorry I just find it funny that the posters from Canada and fighting hard for Bolt. I leave for 13 hours and you guys are still relentless about this.
Bolt's record time will likely be broken while I don't think anyone will ever get 9 gold medals in an Olympics.

Fastest human ever>8 gold medals in races that overlap. If you put more pointless relays and races inbetween 100-200m, Bolt would have a rape party.

[shawngoat23]

Question: is Phelps that much better than Spitz, for his era? If not, his accomplishments certainly aren't unprecedented.

It's not simply a matter of 8 > 7. There are many factors that go into accumulating medals such as quality of teammates in the relay, quality of competition, scheduling of events, etc., beyond his obvious world-class ability. Nor are the career medals an indication of his dominance over Spitz for various reasons, as Spitz retired early.

One can probably make a strong case, perhaps even an overwhelming one, that Phelps is better than Spitz. I don't know, because I'm not an expert in swimming, although I do know something about it. But it shouldn't necessarily involve career medals, unless you don't think Jim Brown was one of the greatest runningbacks to ever play (American) football. Nor should it involve 8 > 7, unless you think Karl Malone--a fine player to be sure--is the GOAT with 11 All-NBA First Team appearances.

Just to remind everyone, Spitz won 7 gold medals setting 7 world records in 1972. Compared to Phelps, he has one extra 100 m freestyle golds--which is a more prestigious race--and two fewer golds in the individual medleys--which attest to Phelps' great versatility.

It would be ridiculous to compare Phelps' accomplishment to winning the 100/200/400, or even the 100/110H. While no one has ever accomplished what Phelps done, it remains in the realm of possibility that it can be repeated by another athlete with the inclination to do so, given that Spitz came so close. On the other hand, no athlete has ever won the 100/110H, or even come close to competing in both events. Only one man has ever won the 200/400--the transcendent Michael Johnson--and I doubt anyone will ever be able to take the 100/400, although Bolt might come the closest if he were willing to try it.

I don't like arguing Phelps' accomplishments on the basis of his versatility. I mean, that's great, and it shows up in his collection of medals, which will someday be able to fill Ft. Knox. But when you look at the sheer dominance and impact of a single performance, Bolt takes the cake. He's got me thinking that I want to be like Usain Bolt.

[Joker]

Is there even such thing as a sprinter who runs the 100 m and 400 m? I can't recall ever hearing of that. One is so dependent on your quickness out of the blocks and your acceleration and the other one is so dependent on stamina, they are two completely different animals. Training for the 100 m would entirely consist of explosive/speed training with zero consideration given to endurance. 400 m training would heavily involve having the stamina to sustain and/or increase your speed in times of extreme fatigue.

What Phelps has done on paper is no doubt more impressive. But if we're talking about reverence/pure awe-factor, then I think it goes to Bolt.

[canoner]

Both are HISTORY now. There are still medals to be won and let us move on. The Olympic game is barely half way through!

Phelps is great. But the game is much larger than just one person. I hope NBC has another theme other than this one man obsession.

[Joker]

The fact that what Phelps has done was closely matched just 36 years ago makes it less special. If the prior record for most gold medals in swimming at the Olympics was 4 or something, then it would make Phelps' that much more of a freak.

I think if Bolt can win the 200 m and get the world record, and if Jamaica wins the 4 x 100 m with a world record time, I think one could debate that Bolt's performance is up there with Phelps'.

[Susan]

Is there even such thing as a sprinter who runs the 100 m and 400 m? I can't recall ever hearing of that. One is so dependent on your quickness out of the blocks and your acceleration and the other one is so dependent on stamina, they are two completely different animals. Training for the 100 m would entirely consist of explosive/speed training with zero consideration given to endurance. 400 m training would heavily involve having the stamina to sustain and/or increase your speed in times of extreme fatigue.

What Phelps has done on paper is no doubt more impressive. But if we're talking about reverence/pure awe-factor, then I think it goes to Bolt.

Xaiver Carter won the 100-400-4x400 and 4x100 at the NCAA championships in 2006 and his best event is also the 200.

[dougthonus]

Question: is Phelps that much better than Spitz, for his era? If not, his accomplishments certainly aren't unprecedented.

Spitz competed in multiple Olympics and got 9 gold medals total. So yes, what Phelps has done in his career has destroyed what Spitz was able to do.

[dougthonus]

Fastest human ever>8 gold medals in races that overlap. If you put more pointless relays and races inbetween 100-200m, Bolt would have a rape party.

Maybe, I don't know, would Bolt walk away with 8 medals if he had to do all the heats for 2 weeks against fresh competition who that wasn't in 8 events? Maybe he would. We'll never know.

[Susan]

Question: is Phelps that much better than Spitz, for his era? If not, his accomplishments certainly aren't unprecedented.

Spitz competed in multiple Olympics and got 9 gold medals total. So yes, what Phelps has done in his career has destroyed what Spitz was able to do.

lol. When Spitz competed, Olympic athletes were not allowed to get sponsored. There was very little chance for him to make a living while maintaining his fitness to continue training for another 4 years. But whatever, you can shout 16 gold medals or whatever it is and you'll be "right".