Phelps is now the most decorated Olympian

[HeilSvenska]

Originally Posted by philip I saw Mark Spitz on TV and I didn't know who he was.

He lost his trademark 'stache.



I dunno. I thought Bruce Jenner's appearances on TV a bit sad. Fame isn't worth that much.

[Mattk]

I saw the Usain Bolt race, which was insane. He cruised through the last 20m and just mocked the others, and still broke his own world record. Ridiculous!

I also saw Phelps' eighth gold, in which, unlike Bolt, he was heavily challenged. He still won, but not as effortlessly as Bolt. Phelps may be great, but others aren't far behind. With Bolt, he's in a league of his own.

[philip]

Originally Posted by HeilSvenska He lost his trademark 'stache. I dunno. I thought Bruce Jenner's appearances on TV a bit sad. Fame isn't worth that much.

Jenner does look sad kinda like he had plastic surgery. Spitz looks alot better now. Toupe?

[Jabba]

Originally Posted by Mattk I also saw Phelps' eighth gold, in which, unlike Bolt, he was heavily challenged. He still won, but not as effortlessly as Bolt. Phelps may be great, but others aren't far behind. With Bolt, he's in a league of his own.

Thats not a good comparison, his eighth gold was won in a relay (even though it was a WR)

Why not compare it to any of his five individual events that he won and set WR's in?

If Bolt is in a league of his own with one gold medal and a WR, then Phelps must be on a planet of his own with 8 gold medals, 7 WR's and an OR

Lets be honest, Phelps has done something that no Olympian has ever done before, and Bolt won the 100m and set a WR.

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by Jabba Thats not a good comparison, his eighth gold was won in a relay (even though it was a WR) Why not compare it to any of his five individual events that he won and set WR's in? If Bolt is in a league of his own with one gold medal and a WR, then Phelps must be on a planet of his own with 8 gold medals, 7 WR's and an OR Lets be honest, Phelps has done something that no Olympian has ever done before, and Bolt won the 100m and set a WR.

But Bolt is better then Phelps because he is the fastest man on land in track and field; he's obviously a better athlete, even if he only won one event, it is by far the most important event out there!

[Jabba]

Originally Posted by nthfinity But Bolt is better then Phelps because he is the fastest man on land in track and field; he's obviously a better athlete, even if he only won one event, it is by far the most important event out there!

How much would you say Bolt is now ahead of someone like Carl Lewis?

As if we need reminding, Lewis in 1984 won the 100m, 200m, Long Jump and the 4x100m relay and broke gawd knows how many WR's.

Looking at the medal table, if Phelps was a country, he would be joint 5th now with Australia (in terms of gold medals). How "usain" is that

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by Jabba How much would you say Bolt is now ahead of someone like Carl Lewis? As if we need reminding, Lewis in 1984 won the 100m, 200m, Long Jump and the 4x100m relay and broke gawd knows how many WR's. Looking at the medal table, if Phelps was a country, he would be joint 5th now with Australia (in terms of gold medals). How "usain" is that

What makes Bolt more special then Lewis is that he was just effortless the last 20 meters of the 100 meter dash. Lewis had to work hard to get those past WR's which have since been smashed by better athletes; and he had tougher competition then Bolt did. He had to work really hard to win the 100m
100m
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...wis+1984&vt=lf
200m
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...wis+1984&vt=lf
4x100
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...wis+1984&vt=lf

[Jabba]

Sweet videos

[Mattk]

The reason why you could put Lewis ahead of Bolt is that he won the long jump numerous times as well. But, the way Bolt won his 100m race was amazing. It was as if he was from another planet. In a later interview, Tyson Gay believed that Bolt could have done around a tenth of a second better if he didn't celebrate before the finish.

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by Mattk The reason why you could put Lewis ahead of Bolt is that he won the long jump numerous times as well. But, the way Bolt won his 100m race was amazing. It was as if he was from another planet. In a later interview, Tyson Gay believed that Bolt could have done around a tenth of a second better if he didn't celebrate before the finish.

OK

So, let me try to understand this

Michael Phelps cannot be the greatest olympian in all the modern (28 summer games) times because...

1. Swimming has too many categories where the same swimmer can get tons of golds with "ease"

2. Phelps many WR and OR he set were not far and away ahead of the competition (download Jabba's videos)

3. Swimming is not as athletic as track and field

4. Phelps is not Austrailian

5. Phelps isn't racing against Ian Thorp; who is obviously the best swimmer since time began.

6. Several of Phelps records were with 3 other swimmers of high calibre

7. Phelps has a cheater suite, and in a pool set for speed, so his WR and OR are not as good as Thorp's.

8. He did not comfortably look around at his competition showing he was the best in the world with ease in the last few bits of the said race (watch the video's)

9. Swimming is not a good measure to judge somebody's athleticism; whereas track and field is.

10. Bolt is better then Phelps, but Bolt isn't quite as good as Lewis.

Jabba, am I missing anything?

How is Phelps NOT the greatest olympian ever?

[styla21]

Bolt is shaping up to be one of the most talented, successful athletes the Olympics has seen.
The discovery channel did a show where they stated that scientifically, 9.7 seconds is the maximum time any human could run 100 meters. ....Bolt broke that barrier, jogging the last 30 meters with his hands in the air.

Phelps has a large medal haul because his chosen sport allows greater range of events, and more medal chances. A track sprinter is limited to really 2 individual events, plus relays. Bolt will never take home 8 medals in one olympics as there arn't events to cater to this; but this doesn't mean he is an equal athlete to Phelps, and perhaps has a greater margin of superiority over his competitors than Phelps does his own.

If the best measure of "Greatest Olympian Ever" is by pure medal tally, then Nth / Jabba you are dead on right. I suspect it will be a very very long time until we see Phelps awesome record haul beaten.

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by styla21 Bolt is shaping up to be one of the most talented, successful athletes the Olympics has seen. The discovery channel did a show where they stated that scientifically, 9.7 seconds is the maximum time any human could run 100 meters. ....Bolt broke that barrier, jogging the last 30 meters with his hands in the air. Phelps has a large medal haul because his chosen sport allows greater range of events, and more medal chances. A track sprinter is limited to really 2 individual events, plus relays. Bolt will never take home 8 medals in one olympics as there arn't events to cater to this; but this doesn't mean he is an equal athlete to Phelps, and perhaps has a greater margin of superiority over his competitors than Phelps does his own. If the best measure of "Greatest Olympian Ever" is by pure medal tally, then Nth / Jabba you are dead on right. I suspect it will be a very very long time until we see Phelps awesome record haul beaten.

Decathelon, Pentathelon, long jump, tripple jump, high jump, 100m, 200m 100x4, 200x4

Eventually, we may see the track and field athlete who will take on those, and perhaps something I'm not mentioning, and be a fantastic athelete; but through today, that man does not exist.

Phelps trains harder, works harder, and has a body designed to work better which gave him the ability to do what has never been done.

Eventually, his records will fall; but it will be a very long time. (at least 4 years)

I would not say that somebody in track and field won't be the person to break it.

[Pokiou]

Yea Phelps did great.. HE won his GOLD but a bees penis length if you watch the under water camera LOL he JUST made before the aussie .


Gratz to himm IM sure he has LOTS and LOTS of life and power and stamina and energy left in him to rule the pools for a few more olympics

[HeilSvenska]

Bee's penis length. That. Is the weirdest description I've ever seen for anything.

[Jabba]

Originally Posted by nthfinity OK So, let me try to understand this 1. Swimming has too many categories where the same swimmer can get tons of golds with "ease"

If that was the case, how comes no one else has come close to getting 8 golds since 1972 when Spitz got 7, especially when we have had swimming "superstars" like Ian Thorpe in recent years?