First of all sorry to any Phelps fan but the article is my own and based entirely on my opinion.

First of all congratulations to phelps for world record of 8 gold medals. But I have been sick and tired of media calling Phelps as the greatest olympian. I beg to differ. He may be the most successful olympian in terms of Gold medal won, but does that necessary mean that he is the greatest olympian?.



Why Mark Spitz record of highest gold medals in single olympics  wasn't broken by any boxer, rower, or weight lifter? The answer isnt difficult to answer.

I don't know what more you have to do than break 7 world records and get 8 golds to be considered one of the greatest athletes. I guess you are just jealous of his achievements, huh?

When they say greatest Olympian they always mean one of the greatest Olympians.

i think swimmers shouldnt be allowed to wear their speedo costumes..what better does it make them from the ones taking drugs to boost their performance.

Ha ha ha ha ...I wonder if I can break the records by merely wearing that special swimming suit....nope !!

I LOVE MICHAEL PHELPS. i really appreciate wht he has done. i admire mark spitz too wht he did in that era was remarkable and i dont think u can compare the two swimmers. they r both great in their own way

and talking abt bolt he is awesome he can run. but comparing someone frm running and swimming doesnt make sense.

 like linQ said they mean one of the greatest. and think all these men are great athletes. And great Olympian no need to diss someone for their hard work especially someone who has 15 medals and 13 of them r gold.

GO MICHAEL PHELPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Suike.
Thanks for throwing your two cents on me for my two cents ("I guess you are just jealous... statement") that I tossed on the original poster. I don't know how your two cents are different from my two cents but then I bumped into half a cent you threw up there as "The basketball team, the football team; they play so many games to eventually land up with a gold", where you are comparing individual performances to the team-work, and I can't help but wonder if your thoughts are worth even a penny. May be someday they will add another event in basketball where they could test individual performance, like throwing 3 pointers. But until then, it is a team event. There is only one gold for that event. Now the Olympics swimming events are over, and track and field is on a 3rd gear, there are chances for many other to become another Michael Phelps. But there is no way one can question MP's achievements.

PS: To the speedo suit question >> If everyone is wearing a speedo suit or whatever, don't you think it is going to increase everyones performance?

 I totally second you no_quiero.  Phelps is one of the greatest swimmers of all time but not the greatest olympian.

 

 

Sparrow

hahahaha...there's no harm or side effect in keeping offbeat views but what people saw this past week is unprecedented -- something akin-to/close-to which was achieved 36 years before (by Mark Spitz)-- and nobody knows when similar f eat will be achieved by another swimmer. I would be glad and would like to visit this thread (assuming sajha exists till then) if what phelps did is redone by another swimmer before i die.

i have my highest regard for bolt (damn that guy didn't even care about the world record else he would have made it a 10th of a second faster) but there are other events in athletics too where he can shine if he is to be matched up with phelps: 200 m , 400 m, relay runs, long jump and so on. let's see if he can do that.

(carl lewis, arguably the greatest of the athletes, did that in 1984 olympics winning 4 golds in 100 m, 200m, 400m relay and long jump)

Best olympian ??

Bearing the Weight of a Nation on a Broken Kneecap

The Japanese men’s gymnastics team won gold at every Olympic Games from 1960 to 1972. So when the 1976 Games began, capturing a fifth straight gold was a matter of national pride.

Things started to come apart, however, when gymnast Shun Fujimoto felt something pop in his leg during the floor exercise. He knew he’d broken his kneecap, but hesitated to tell his coaches for fear of being pulled from competition. Knowing that his team needed every tenth of a point to win, Fujimoto decided to downplay the injury. He dusted himself off and hopped on the pommel horse, scoring a 9.5 despite the searing pain in his knee. Fujimoto later credited his injury with helping him to focus, because he knew the slightest error could have caused permanent damage. “I was completely occupied by the thought that I could not afford to make any mistakes,” he said.

Following the pommel horse was Fujimoto’s strongest event—the rings. For his dismount, he flew through the air in a triple-somersault and made a near-perfect landing with clenched teeth and tears in his eyes. The judges awarded him a 9.7, a personal best. After sticking the landing, Fujimoto collapsed from pain. Even then, he only withdrew from the competition after doctors told him he would risk permanent disability by continuing. Fujimoto’s teammates rallied around their friend’s gutsy performance and edged out the Soviets for the gold.

more at..

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/17524

i admire michael phelps but i would like to give my firm and undivided approval to the thread originator and others supporting his views, if another swimmer breaks phelps' record before we die (meaning in another 60 years )...

coz then we can say:

1)"jeez...it's easy to win a gold in swimming "
2) when you win one in 100m freestyle, you automatically win in 200m butterfly

wake up! it took one of the greatest athletes of all time (carl lewis) to come close to spitz and took 36 freaking years to overcome spitz's achievement (that's one third of the life of olympic games).

"and I guess, the difference in our 2 cents was, your 2 cents were aimed at throwing a caustic remark to a fellow sajhaiti and my 2 cents were aimed at stopping those remarks".

So it has nothing to do with Olympics or MP? You were just being biased towards me because you "thought" I am throwing negative remarks at the original poster? Hell, it was not even between you and me, or was it? You sir, just disgust me. At this point I could have said "it's none of your business" but that would be cliche.

greatest olympian is Girija prashad koirala.he has been ruling nepal forever...

 

Thank you everybody for the comments.

The swimmers of today has a luxury of playing in many events then the  swimmers in yesteryears. Many experts consider Spitz better than Phelps. Why?     becaause Spitz won the medal in each and every events he participated. Even Phelps has not done that. 

I found  a quote by Mark Spitz in  1972 before the olympics . He said " I am participating in 7 events . If I win 6 gold It will be a faliure?"

The result. Mark Spitz not only won gold in all the seven events but also set world records in each one of those.  Now that is some performance.

As far as loote pointed out Carl Lewis too may well have point in being an outstanding olympian. He won gold in long jup and running. In anybody's book that is completely two different kind of game.

I remamber Maurice Green had GOAT  tatto in his arm. Somebody asked him what is that.  He said " Greatest of all time".  As far as Michael Phelps is concerned, he may not yet be the greatest but he certainly in his way. But to be greatest in the olympic he needs to dominate in the next 2-3 olympics like sir steve Redgrave     did when he dominated from 1984 to 2000.

no_quiero,
i won't commit a sin of comparing two sports. i have as much adulation for carl lewis as i have for phelps. if you understand that long jump and a 100m (in track and field) are events of different nature, you should also recognize the fact that not all swimmers can swim a 100 m butterfly or a 4*100m individual medley or a 200 m freestyle with equal flair, conviction and at world record breaking speeds.

if you look at some of the world class swimmers in history, barring spitz, most of them had a good grip in just one or at most two styles. Ian Thorpe for instance was a king of freestyle. He could swim butterfly but not with as much conviction as freestyle. the dude was awarded 'world swimmer of the year' for at least three times, mind you.

look at ryan lochte, another world class swimmer. but he is great only in freestyle. Same applies to Dara Torres.

and here we are doubting on someone (for not being great enough?) who won golds in all the events he participated and broke and made a mockery of all records to surpass what'd been achieved 36 years ago-- when your parents had not yet planned to conceive you? hahahahaha

Hats off to Michael Phelps.

To no-quiero,

your judgement is biased. If not michael, who do you think is the greatest olympion? It's been 36 years that Phelps broke the record of Spitz. In every olympic, there is someone different who sets world record in 100 m race. you think this person should be called the greast olympion. If you do it, then you misuse the word "the gretest olympion". Whats wrong if Michael is called the greatest olympion. you have egomania, may be you never accepts the . I respect Mr. Bolt who has become the fastest man in the world. There are more than dozens of events in track. you could compare usain with michael only after  he wins couple of races.

Be positive and appreciate others success.

no-quiero i guess you forgot he didn't just won 8 gold medals...he has a perfect session...8/8... to take part in 8 event and to be able to gain 8 gold is something to think about

Yeah I agree he played 8 and won 8. Thing is swimmers and Gymnastics always has an advantage. Then even Mark spitz played 7 and won 7 and all with world records. Swimmers today have an advantage of winning much more medals than swimmers of yesteryears because so many medals are introduced.

Michael Phelps may be best in swimming, unparalleled among his peers  which may give him opportunity to win 8 golds purely because of the sports he is best at. But what about best in Judo, boxing, cycling, pole vault, hammer thrower, high  jumper, wrester and all other sports. If I am 62 Kg weight boxer I can only fight with someone  the similar weight category like me and my  opportunities of winning multiple medals are cut short. Fact remains only swimming and gymnastic presents a realistic opportunity to win a lot of golds.

Even if athlete is exceptional like Carl lewis it only gave him opportunity to win 4 golds.But we have to remember he was good in two sports unlike Phelps.  To judge player only based on total number of gold medal and make him best olympian is farcical. If sir Steve Redgrave was told to row in 200m , 400 m , 600m, 800m or 1000m ( Like swimmers do 200m, 400m.....) he still would have came up with lots of gold in the olympics from 1984 to 2000. Unfortunately he only won one gold in 5 consecutive olympics.

And to loote, if he thinks in 36 years only carl lewis came close to breaking the record of Spitz is ludicrous. what about Kristin otto from East Germany who won 6 golds in six events in 1988 in swimming or Vitali Scherbo of Unified Team who won 6 golds in1992 Barcelona olympics in gymnastics. 

As you can see they are  a swimmer or gymnast. Even if Mohammad Ali is reborn again you will never hear Mohammad ali winning 8 golds in olympics.

There are and will be issues and disagreements surrounding who is the 'greatest olympian', an endless topic of arguments amongst sports fans worldwide. I just want to point out that nobody should compare or judge an athlete as the greatest simply with the number of medal tally rather the discipline, dedication and tremendous amount of hard work that goes into winning the event. Its a soggy assumption that whoever amasses the most must be the greatest. Its absurd.

 I would put Michael Phelps right at the top of the list of the greatest athlete  because of his sheer ability to excel in his discipline and to challenge himself to achieve the unthinkable.

Only a swimmer can understand how difficult it is to master a particular stroke and beat the best in the world. He challenged all human ability, put a benchmark down and rewrote the record books.

He dove into the pool for 9 straight days, morning and night he has competed events after events and won. Events after events he shattered world records. Yes, swimmers have more events, but to down so belligerently this stunning achievement, I feel, haven't fully comprehended how demanding the sport of swimming really is.

Every sport deserves its place in the Games, and far be it from me to diminish any. But Phelps has elevated himself into the conversation. And there can be no dispute now that he is the best swimmer ever.

True, he may be greatest swimmer but greatest olympian is a farce. Because there shouldn't be a trophy like greatest olympian .

As you say only swimmer can understand how difficult it is to swim. But then it applies for every sport. There is no lesser committment in any sports. Take an example of Haile Gebrselassie

 

 

Another thing one must remember is, if michael phelps was not playing for US and playing for Nepal or for that matter any other country he would not have won 8 golds. But he would have to be happy with 5 gold. Now that would make him a lesser swimmer than  mark spitz or kristin otto. So he wouldn't probably regarded as the best olympian .isn't it?

I know winning gold in swimming is difficult. But if you are good enough to win one gold then probably you are good enough to win many more in single olympic. However, it is not the case of other sports.

Another point is, in olympic 1952, there were 11 events of swimming, now it is 34. even within the 100, 200m many new events have been introuduced which is speciality of phelps.  Mark Spitz in his time had to compete in less number of events .

Unlike swimming, Why there is only single gold in diving, Put the gold medals for each events reverse, forward, pike, tuck in differnt degree of diffiiculty. She is as dominating in diving as michael phelps is in swimming.   There is little doubt that world champion Guo JingJing would have won  gold in each and every one of those.See her points in different events.  Unfortunately for a diver everything counts for just one.