Is Michael Phelps the Greatest Olympian Ever?

Eric J · **Joined:** Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:07 am **Posts:** 4427

Yes, because Amurrica.

Edit: Didn't mean this to be a brag about America, it's just there seems to be some discussion about whether or not most medals = greatest olympian, so I was wondering what people thought.

pave · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 11:11 pm

idk. i dont know enough about the Olympics. only thing i can say for sure is that he's probably the easiest US athlete to root for in recent memory. just my opinion of course.

corrections · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 8:11 pm **Posts:** 14690

No. That belongs to Jesse Owens or Carl Lewis.

Avery_Island · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:29 pm

Don't want to go over the debate again, but it's Bolt for me.

Forgotten Son · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:32 pm

No. I don't think there is a greatest Olympian.

Cripplers Quest · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:14 pm **Posts:** 2154

No, and if it's purely off metal count than a swimmer will always be the greatest olympian.

Brett Alan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 2:17 pm **Posts:** 2845

Joe Posnanski--the finest sportswriter there is--comments on Phelps and 19 other candidates for the honor (it's actually a list of 19, but then he mentions one more as an "interlude"; I have no idea why that one isn't ranked).

http://sportsonearthblog.com/2012/08/01 ... -all-time/

Some fascinating stories in there, particularly the ones about Emil Zátopek and Lasse Virén.

Eric J · **Joined:** Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:07 am **Posts:** 4427

Forgotten Son wrote:

No. I don't think there is a greatest Olympian.

Cripplers Quest wrote:

No, and if it's purely off metal count than a swimmer will always be the greatest olympian.

Both of these are excellent points.

rockvirtuoso · **Joined:** Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:36 pm **Posts:** 2351

fuck no. take away the redundant strokes (all bar freestyle) and relays and the guy has something like 3 golds. carl and owens are easily greater, and every multiple winning decathlete and probably a few others

Quinnsy Lohan · **Posted:** Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:06 am

^Basically that.

MintCondition · **Posted:** Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:02 am

Not while Steven Bradbury exists.

John G · **Posted:** Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:37 am

MintCondition wrote:

Not while Steven Bradbury exists.

bradbury is greatness, i actually saw him said g'day and chatted for a couple of minutes in a supermarket a couple of years back, it was really surreal because he is an Olympic god and all...

rockvirtuoso · **Joined:** Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:36 pm **Posts:** 2351

MintCondition wrote:

Not while Steven Bradbury exists.

kosherrock · **Joined:** Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:35 pm **Posts:** 1475

Yes. Easily. Beijing 2008.

Yousha · **Posted:** Sun Aug 26, 2012 5:09 pm

negative, and rv makes the best points against that.

Is Michael Phelps the Greatest Olympian Ever?

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