Who is the greater athelete..... Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps?

Question

You may answer this in any manner you wish.... i personally feel that track is a much harder event because the compettion is stiffer but the way phelps has dominated each time and has evev shown the ability to win close gives him my vote.

Answer 1

Umm thats like comparing the fastest fish to the fastes land animal they simply can't be compared

Answer 2

one runs fast and one swims fast leave it at that.  Why do people have to try and figure out whats better or whatever.  Their both great atheletes.  

Answer 3

Michael Phelps. :)

Answer 4

Phelps of course! Not only has he been consistent in his performances over the years and achieved the unimaginable this year, but he's also verrry humble (unlike Usain "I'm No.1... I'm No. 1" Bolt).

That's the mark of a great athlete - consistent performance and humility.

Answer 5

The current greatest athlete on land is Usain Bolt.  The current greatest athlete in water is Michael Phelps.  

There's no way to compare water sports with those run on tracks.  Maybe their training regimens are the same (both love junk food.....) but I salute both of them for their medal and record breaking performances.

Answer 6

invalid argument...amazing apples and super fast oranges

USA's Clay

bolt runs fast, and phelps swims fast, so you can't compare

but Clay was the best (average) in 10 different events (decathalon) that use different skills and different parts of the body

Answer 7

Bolt!

Answer 8

this was just asked. research you're question, seriously. but i say michael phelps.

Answer 9

Phelps

  Usain Bolt is using something...

Answer 10

Usain Bolt no doubt about it!

Answer 11

Michael Phelps!! He swam race after race, day after day. Track is very difficult, and Lord knows that I can't do it, but Bolt got a break, whereas Phelps would warm down, drink or eat something, and swim in another race.

Both are extraordinary, but I think Phelps is better.

Answer 12

they are two different sports, so you can't really compare the two. bottom line: they are both excellent athletes (probably the best in the world at this point)

Answer 13

phelps, but im defnitely not taking anything away from usain bolt, hes an amazing athlete as well

Answer 14

LOL @ "Ready 4 back 2 skool", yeah, because Phelps has broken no world records LOL.

your funny.

Answer 15

IDK. But, Phelps is a much better sport. Bolt is really cocky!

Answer 16

Thats like comparing apples and oranges.  Personality wise, I prefer Phelps because he seems like a nice, humble guy.  Bolt seems like such an arrogant a** that I was rooting for him to lose.

Answer 17

Usain Bolt, he is the fastest man alive. No offence to Phelps but Swimming is the only sport where you can get medals for 4 different ways of getting from point A too Point B.

Answer 18

landslide for Phelps, 8 gold this year alone, all time leading gold medal winner, that record can't be debated and speaks for itself.

Answer 19

It's obviously Bolt but you're asking a load of biased yanks who never heard of Phelps in their lives until 2 weeks ago! Pointless question...

Answer 20

i like usain bolt more, but probably michael phelps.

Answer 21

Phelps

Answer 22

Hands down Phelps even though im sick of hearing about him, he is def. more humble.

Answer 23

they both are amazing athletes

Usain Bolt for track

and

Michael Phelps for swimming

they both trained hard and set world records

haha we will just see if they can do it again at 2012 olympics lol

Answer 24

Both are very good but my vote is for Phelps. Obviously he has a lot more medals than Usain so that's a big factor in my decision. I also think Phelps is better because he isn't a huge show-off like Bolt. I think both are very good at what they do so it's hard to say I guess.

Answer 25

They are both freaks of nature . Phelps is double jointed and Bolt has abnormal length legs .

What does it really matter who wins a race , especially when it's by less than an inch . It is not a true sign of ability especially in Bolt's case . Lots of people run well . There is no great skill to it . Lets see how either one of them do in the NFL , NHL or MLB . Misty May is a better athelete than either Bolt or Phelps .

Answer 26

I did not read the other answers, but as a former competitive swimmer and track and field athlete...I would have to say that Michael Phelps is a greater athlete. Swimming is a sport that involves EVERY muscle in the body, thus requiring Phelps to be sure that every bit of his body is in perfect shape all of the time. Yes, obviously Bolt is in fantastic shape, no Olympic runner will ever be competitive and fat, but he the stress of his physical competition is in his legs. However, Phelps must use every single muscle he possesses in order to perform at the level he does...from shoulder to pecs to abs to triceps...every muscle must be in perfect condition.

Answer 27

Let me first say that you can't compare them as they are both great in their own way.. also let me note that not because i'm a jamaican that i'm saying this but i say track & feild is a much more vigorous & harder sport which entails more training alot of more muscles are used & there are alot of more risks for the body.. also in Phelp's races his winning is so close.. unlike Bolt in all his races he had a great winning gap.. look at in the 100m final he slowed down at the tape line.. he could've done a much faster time.. another thing to point out is that in the 4*100m relay when Bolt ran to the finish line to congratulate my fellow Jamaicans he crossed the line even before team Netherlands(i think) could.. I would say Bolt all the way!!

Answer 28

I've already answered this about 16 times along with many on here because this question has been asked sooooo many times

I've done the search work for you:

http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...

Answer 29

my vote is for michael phelps... just b/c he didnt just automatically swim the fastest in the world.. he had to work to get there!! for years and years he spent time training to be what he is now. for BOLT i think that it is more of a natural or substance enduced talent! he didnt work for it as phelps did! plus you have to add in the factor that Bolt is a lot taller than most runners and has an advantage in strides over the other competitors!

Answer 30

First of all, we should not really compare.  But, if you were to compare there are several factors to consider, many of which no one on any of these boards has ever mentioned.

First, stuff other people mention --

1.) # of medals available to be won

2.) # of competitions necessary

3.) training required to reach elite status

4.) attitude

5.) any inherent advantages an individual might have

Second, those things no one has mentioned before

1.) size of total population of potential competitors (people who ever had a chance to run and people who have ever had a chance to swim - example think if you're comparing with top speed skater you might argue half the world has never even seen ice.)

2.) any inherent advantages one nation/training program might have

  a.) better equipment (does Jamaica have better shoes or the US have better swimsuits that give an advantage?  If so, then we should discount that athletes performance to some extent)

  b.) better access to training environment (does Jamaica have conditions that give an unfair sprinting advantage - high altitude or whatever, does the US have conditions in the pool)

  c.) better access to training techniques (does Jamaica have better coaches that instruct on how to get off the blocks quickly or how to run for optimal speed, does the US have better coaches in the pool for how to most effectively make use of the dolphin kick off of the turns)

To truly evaluate, one must reason through these questions.  Why?  Because, if there was an advantage (like better shoes/swimsuits) that only one nation (US in swimming or Jamaica in running) has that significantly reduces the times of their athletes, then I would give the nod to the one without those advantages.  

Does anyone understand what I wrote?  Probably not.  Never mind.

Answer 31

Bryan Clay, the decathlete.  Those guys have to run heats, and finals, of ten different events in two days.  It's unbelievable.

Between Bolt and Phelps, Phelps is probably the greater athlete.  He had to have been exhausted by the end, having raced 17 times against some guys who only swam in one or two events total.  If it is so easy to get 7 or 8 gold medals in swimming, Mark Spitz's record would not have held up for 36 years.  Bolt is not the first guy to have won the 100 and 200.  He is incredible, though.