Is michael phelps the greatest swimmer of all time?

Question

Is michael phelps the greatest swimmer of all time?

Answer 1

He is going to be one if he could break Mark Spitz 7 gold medal in one single Olympics. He has already won one gold from his 8 events in the Beijing Olympics.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing...

http://www.squidoo.com/Michael-Phelps-Sw...

Answer 2

Without a doubt, even if doesn't win 8 golds in Beijing he is by far the greatest swimmer to ever get in the water.  Take a look at what's his done already in his life he started to set and break World Records at the age of 15, he's already been to 3 Olympics and at 23 it's very conceivable he can probably swim in 2 more if he so chooses.  He's been named swimmer of the year since 2003 (with a break in 2005 when he broke a vertebrae in his neck) and currently holds 4 individual world records and hold 2 more in the relay events (and that very well may change by the end of these Olympics), he holds 38 national titles (again at 23 it's very conceivable he will break the record of 48 held by Tracy Caulkins), since 2001 he's won 41 medals in international competition (33 of which are gold), when all is said in done he will by far hold more gold medals then other Olympiad not only in America but possibly the world (The record for gold medals for the U.S. is 9).  The only other swimmer in U.S. Olympic history to come close is Mark Spitz and while Phelps may match or break his record of 7 gold medals at one game, I'm not sure he will match Spitz's feat of setting a world record in all events he wins a gold in.