Michael Phelps : The Greatest Olympian ever, or "just" the best modern swimmer ?

Question

"MSN had a great article that listed the greatest living athletes (Phelps was #3 behind Woods & Jordan) " - so they believe the 3 best living athletes are all American ? and they think golfers are athletes ? hmmmm

Answer 1

i don't think he is the best olympian .... by far

Answer 2

Winning 8 medals is pretty awesome.  But why does he have to wear the suit?  It gives an advantage, which unfair, perhaps it's not as much as doping, or wearing flippers on his feet, but still it is an advantage that can be attributed to other than own's skill.

Answer 3

"just" the best modern swimmer u cant call him The Greatest Olympian ever cuz you dont know if theres gonna be another person better then him in the future

Answer 4

Typical rubbish - the Baseball teams play a 'World series' containing no teams whatsoever except the americans! (ok now it includes Cuba and Japan etc)

He should try running against the Jamaicans!!!!!!!!!!

Golfers athletes?  LOLOLOLOOLOOLOL.

Answer 5

this is a very sensible question, and i will have to go with best modern swimmer. cos swimming in olympics have so many medals to offer. although his 100% record is impressive but pple like usain bolt has not lost to anyone either both in heats and finals.its much easier to gather medals in swimming than any other sport in olympics.

Answer 6

Winning 9 golds for a two minutes or less race is hardly anything special compared that to, for example,  a three hour sailing race against competiitors and the elements. That means the race winner in sailing should get fiffty golds.

Answer 7

So far, he is the best SWIMMER ever.  He could be one of the greatest olympians ever, but I don't know about being THE best.

Answer 8

The Greatest Olympian ever. Not every one can copy his achievment. He is just unique as he swims like a dolphin apparently which makes him even more faster than anyone!

He'll come back in 4years time to get 10 golds!

He broke 8 world records. How can you say hes not the greatest olympian???

Answer 9

Most successful Olympic swimmer to date.

Answer 10

He's a great swimmer alright. He really took long lunges!

Answer 11

In my opinion he is the best olympic swimmer but not the best olympian.  Not to take anything away from him.  He is awesome!  

Answer 12

I think is the greatest swimming Olympian ever (I mean come on, with all the new technology and tigheter competition and water filled goggles and he STILL pulls off 8 golds?  And has 14 golds overall...check my math on that one please, and a few other medals?  Pretty impressive resume, and he's only 23).

However the greatest Olympian ever...we'll have to wait till 2012 before we can fully contest that.

But I think right now is the greatest Olympian in swimming...bar none.

Answer 13

I think its hard to judge whether hes the best Olympian as there are so many different sports which require different talents, so I think its mostly subjective to be honest, as you say it is unusual that so many medals are available in one sport as in many others there arent, although I have to agree that it is amazing how he has excelled in all aspects of swimming.

So yes I would agree that he is one of the best modern swimmers, I think he has proved that with his world records, but in terms of being the greatest Olympian ever, I think that is highly subjective.

Answer 14

The Greatest Olympian Ever.

Answer 15

He's a good swimmer but there are a lot of factors that are contributing to his wins that people years ago did not have, the modern pool which includes pool depth and lanes on the sides, the LZRs, the lane dviders, h**l even swim caps which they didn't use in Spitz's time.

MSN had a great article that listed the greatest living athletes (Phelps was #3 behind Woods & Jordan) and the greatest athletes ever (Phelps was #10), they listed a guy named Thorpe from the early 1900's who competed in tons of different sports at the Olympics. I'd consider him a great Olympian (maybe the greatest) because he had to train in not one but many sports and came out with gold.  

Answer 16

It depends how you define "Greatest Olympian Ever."  If it's by the number of gold medals earned, then yes, I guess so.

But that's not really a fair comparison, is it?  What about all these tournament sports?  May/Walsh will end up winning something like 6 or 7 games (2 sets each game) in order to get ONE gold medal.  

I'm not trying to downplay Phelps accomplishments -- I think he's absolutely amazing, and he CERTAINLY is the best swimmer of his era...maybe ever (remember that Spitz only swam 2 strokes).  But I'm not sure that the number of golds is necessarily the best way to compare.

Answer 17

Maybe most decorated Olympian but seriously, I think we ALL know that there are more inspiring Olympic stories than Michael Phelps'.

Did Michael ever make you cry, leap for joy, move you beyond words?

Oh wait, don't answer that. haha

While I do love his particular story and the fact that he is SO good, there are so many other heroes who competed beyond all odds, pushed through pain and some who even won despite everyone who said they couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't. The title of Greatest Olympian is a totally objective term and should be bestowed with a lot of care. Flippancy sucks!

Answer 18

He's the best swimmer ever, but not the best Olympian ever...

Answer 19

Best Modern Swimmer

Answer 20

Only a best modern swimmer.  

Answer 21

I think he is the greatest ever Olympian! Someone said most of his golds are team golds, but, correct me if i am wrong please, I believe he holds the most individual golds also! 14 Gold medals and he is 23, that is astonishing, he truely is great,, and can be named up with the likes of Ali, Woods, Federer and co when it comes to the greatest sports people of all time!

Answer 22

the 10th days of Beijing 2008 olympic, CHINA leads by 39 gold medals

Answer 23

Yep hes a great swimmer and as for Olympian probably not.