Do you think the US would be mediocre without Michael Phelps?

Question

First of all this isn't a dig. It's an honest question so drop the patriotism for a moment, and answer honestly. The current gold medal standings have US at 28, GBR at 17. If it weren't for Phelps, US would only have 20. I suppose some could say that other American swimmers could take some golds, but let's say only three did, so it'd be 23 for the US. Now imagine if Phelps or someone else equally as good swam for Great Britain, their golds would soar from 17 to 25, or if he wasn't as good as Phelps, 23 even with the US.

Obviously this is just hypothetical, and maybe a bit of a stretch to dream that we could have someone as good as Phelps, but the question I'm asking is, do you think Phelps making such a big difference and dragging the USA from mediocrity?

Answer 1

"Add cricket to the Games and I'm sure the UK would win many more gold medals."

....

ROFLROFLROFLROFLROFL

That is all.

Answer 2

Indeed. Never before have team USA needed one person to make up almost a 3rd of their total gold medal standing.

Many of their pet events have been blitzed by Jamaica, Russia and GRB this year, and on top of that, they have not qualified for 2 more of their usual guaranteed golds.

Rather that rebel against it, I think it really is something that they should think about as their gold medal intake has been gradually declining over the past few games (if you consider all the stripped "Clear" medals).

Is it that the investment into sports in the United States is not as good as it needs to be, or that now that other countries are matching that investment, the champions of previously poorer nations are now getting a the better facilities and opportunities as Team USA has had for generations and are now a real competitive threat on an event by event basis?

Good questions, a worthy debate - certainly not worth any patriotic jibes as their decline should be as much a concern to them as our is to us (in Australia).

Answer 3

true, britain is doin good

Answer 4

As much as I hate to get into discussions with gold medals vs. total medals, I think you do have to look at overall medals in this situation.  Even if another country had one or two more gold medals than the U.S. at most, if you even take all 8 gold medals away, the U.S. still has the most medals overall at 85.  Of course, as you said, they could still win some of those gold medals, and even if they are silver or bronze medals, they would still be counted towards the overall medal count.  The U.S. still has a few days to add to this too, so they have very good odds to end up with the most medals.

So having the most medals overall means they compete decently in a lot of sports, which would probably mean they are much better than mediocre.  They've had a rough athletics medal count so far, so they probably will do better with that in 2012.

Answer 5

Considering that Michael Phelps has more medals than several small countries, I'd say yes.

Answer 6

Honestly...yes.

I love my country and I'm very patriotic, but the fact is that Phelps is the one doing it for us.

We're being smoked by other countries in most events besides swimming and gymnastics.    

Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin are also great.    

Answer 7

Quiet possibly yes, Phelps has been their headline and has over 30% of their golds, without him they maybe lower in both ways that ppl count the medals(by golds or total)

Answer 8

(Yawn, another rant by yet another Brit about the US...)

Well, the US would be a few gold medals fewer, but there were a few Americans who placed second so they would have won the gold.

My goodness, all these Brits ranting about Americans...I'm glad I'm neither Irish nor Scottish.  It's no wonder so many of them emmgrated to the US!!!

Next time around the Olympics will be in London and the UK will have the homefront advantage.   The world will expect the UK to beat some butt then.  Your athletes better start training now since you already know who the best in the best are.

Add cricket to the Games and I'm sure the UK would win many more gold medals.