Is Michael Phelps G.O.A.T

[TheElkTreeFunk]

I think so considering he won all 8 events at the Olympics with the help of his other teammates of course... The Olympic is a special event considering the span of every 4 years and to come in and sweep up the competition is more than amazing...

 

[GrowTech]

Goat? as in the goat?

 

[TheElkTreeFunk]

lol, Greatest Of All Time....

 

[TheElkTreeFunk]

Or the Greatest athlete to compete in the Olympics...

 

[DR. VonDankenstine]

some would say it is the greatest athletic achievement in the world of sports ever and I would tend to agree but I just wish one of those medals didn't come from a team sport---He did ok in the relay but the anker was the reason they got the medal---I wish he could have got 8 medals from all individual sports---but he is amazing and deserves a lot of credit.

 

[ToastedFox]

I wouldn't say hes the greatest, hes just surpassing another mark someone else made. Add a few decades and someone will be chasing after his mark in history.

 

[nickfury510]

he is far from the greatest athlete of all time.......that honor goes to jim thorpe....micheal phelps is maybe the greatest swimmer of all time...but lets see him excel in more than 1 sport before we start giving this guy to much credit....

 

[Florida Girl]

some would say it is the greatest athletic achievement in the world of sports ever and I would tend to agree but I just wish one of those medals didn't come from a team sport---He did ok in the relay but the anker was the reason they got the medal---I wish he could have got 8 medals from all individual sports---but he is amazing and deserves a lot of credit.

LOL... what are you talking about? Phelps swam 5 races of 8 on his own:

200m free, 100m fly, 200m fly, 200m IM, 400m IM


He swam 3 relays:

4x100m free relay, 4x200m free relay, 4x100m medley relay


Michael doesn't swim the shorter 50m races because there are a lot of 50m sprinters and he gets a lot of his power and race from his turns. With the swimming schedule what it is I don't see how he could have swam another individual event. Perhaps that is what it will take for a future athlete to break Phelps' record

5 individual events is A LOT for a swimmer on his own, 3 more with his teammates is extraordinary! Besides, look at other sports like volleyball, basketball, soccer, etc... the team works together to get a medal. The 3 relays are the same thing.... if any one member of the team fell apart NO GOLD.


President Bush and (ex) PM Tony Blair came to see him swim; hell even the US Mens Basketball team came to watch him swim his 8th. When was the last time you saw those guys watching a swim event at an olympics?

Phelps had a PHENOMENAL Olympic Games! Congratulations to him!!!!

 

[Florida Girl]

he is far from the greatest athlete of all time.......that honor goes to jim thorpe....micheal phelps is maybe the greatest swimmer of all time...but lets see him excel in more than 1 sport before we start giving this guy to much credit....

On some levels I see where you are coming from. However please consider that swimming is not just learn one stroke and you know them all.

Track and Field is essentially made up of events that consist of Running, jumping and throwing. Learning the events of each is a feat in itself. So is learning and mastering each swim stroke and learning how to win the distance you are swimming that stroke. There is A LOT more to swimming then meets the eye.

I do get what you are saying, but I think you are short changing the athleticism of swimmers.


Is Michael Phelps the greatest Athlete of all time??? I don't really know..... but I do know he is the greatest Olympian of all time.....so say the record books

 

[nickfury510]

On some levels I see where you are coming from. However please consider that swimming is not just learn one stroke and you know them all.

Track and Field is essentially made up of events that consist of Running, jumping and throwing. Learning the events of each is a feat in itself. So is learning and mastering each swim stroke and learning how to win the distance you are swimming that stroke. There is A LOT more to swimming then meets the eye.

I do get what you are saying, but I think you are short changing the athleticism of swimmers.


Is Michael Phelps the greatest Athlete of all time??? I don't really know..... but I do know he is the greatest Olympian of all time.....so say the record books

no no no no.....please dont take it this way....i just had this argument with my wife....i think the dude is an incredible athlete and swimming has to be one of the most physically enduring activities there is..you are constantly moving and flexing alsmost every muscle in your body fr extended periods of time taking great endurance and strength to do so...then to compete at an olympic level and beat out the rest of the world.... yes the guy is a super stud and deserves to be comended for his acomplishments...im just saying....there are other athletes who over the years have competed at that level of athleticism over a variety of sports....