Swimmers have a unique advantage in that there are multiple opportunities to medal, some in team events which Phelps gets the benefit of. The most historic Phelps race was the team event a couple Olympics ago when they came back against the French. Phelps didn't have a good race, but his teammates saved him, which helped him go for the Gold Medal sweep. Not knocking him, just the reality of it. Even in today's time, I think Usain Bolt is at worst his equal. I do wish Phelps would do the 100M Freestyle. That would be like Bolt not doing the 100M sprint.

Bugatti with Phelps envy.

 

You know how some people annoy you? That is Phelps for me. Make no mistake, I am glued to the television when he is swimming and cheering with the best of the them for Phelps and crew to bring home the Gold.

For clarification, there is a men's 1500m just not a women's. Really stupid.

 

The 1500M event was won by that Chinese dude last Olympics. It was a tour de force. You know if he is in it again?

I'd like to see Bolt in the 400m. My favorite event.

 

If he won swept that, on top of the 100m & 200m, then I'd give him the nod.

I will say Bolt's race where he pulled up and turned around at the end of the 100m was the most impressive performance I've ever seen.

I will say Bolt's race where he pulled up and turned around at the end of the 100m was the most impressive performance I've ever seen.

 

Bolt is awesome. Exactly, who does a race of that magnitude and turns around to mock the competition? :lol2:

Bolt is awesome. Exactly, who does a race of that magnitude and turns around to mock the competition? :lol2:

 

That was easily the most boss thing I have ever watched in sports. It was awesome.

If Usain Bolt sweeps the sprints again, I'm going to argue. Swimming is the easiest sport to get multiple medals in because they run about nine hundred different events.

 

There are only three sprints in track and Bolt has won all three each of the last two Olympics. If he does it again, I'm putting him ahead of Phelps.

 

Only other names I'd consider for that spot: Jesse Owens (four golds at the Nazi olympics in '36 including two world records; he won all three of those aforementioned sprints plus the long jump), the German rower (Brigit or some name like that) who won eight golds over six different Olympics from age 18 to 42 even though East Germany boycotted the 84 Games right in the prime of her career, and Carl Lewis (who's somewhat tainted by drug use issues).

 

Your comparison is way off. Mastering the different strokes is exceptionally hard. That's why you see so few getting medals across multiple strokes.

 

Also, in some instances you'd need Bolt to dominate the 100 then turn around and crush the 1600.

For the Phelps - Bolt debate, it's Phelps for me, and it's not really much of a decision. I understand that the medal count may be skewed due to the number of team relays that swimming has (and Phelps has participated in). But, where I beg to differ is on the swimming strokes themselves. If you say that Phelps' specialty is the fly, then the success he's had in the freestyle or the individual medley simply cannot be overlooked. Then, you had the differing distances in them, and it's even more dramatic. He has won in an era where there are darn near specialists in each stroke and/or distance.

 

Bolt has basically run the same two races over and over again. Has he dominated them? Heck yeah, he has! It's been fun to watch. But, let's not make it out that the 200 is that much different than the 100. In fact, if you want to get down to brass tacks, then there's a strong argument for Jesse Owens or Carl Lewis, who did very well for themselves in two different types of events, could be viewed as better than Bolt overall. Is Bolt the greatest sprinter of all time? Hands down, yes. But, he's not the greatest Olympian, in my mind.

It's the difference in swimming and sprints. It's akin to Bolt also having the 60m dash and the 120 meter dash and the 4X50 meter relay.

No. It's not. It would be akin to Bolt having the pole vault, potato sack race, long jump, and high jump.

 

In addition being able to dominate the sprints and at least the middle distances.

Do we know why?

Starts with Efimova being suspended for doping about 200 times. During the prelims/semi's they had a little finger waving going on and King lit into her during her interview.

Your comparison is way off. Mastering the different strokes is exceptionally hard. That's why you see so few getting medals across multiple strokes.

 

Also, in some instances you'd need Bolt to dominate the 100 then turn around and crush the 1600.

 

You beat me to it. Heck, I'd settle for seeing Bolt run the 100m hurdles.

She's going to get hosed on the medal count too because there are so many more sprints than endurance swims and those long swims are her specialty.

Let's see. She's doing 200 this games.

Swimmers have a unique advantage in that there are multiple opportunities to medal, some in team events which Phelps gets the benefit of. The most historic Phelps race was the team event a couple Olympics ago when they came back against the French. Phelps didn't have a good race, but his teammates saved him, which helped him go for the Gold Medal sweep. Not knocking him, just the reality of it. Even in today's time, I think Usain Bolt is at worst his equal. I do wish Phelps would do the 100M Freestyle. That would be like Bolt not doing the 100M sprint.

 

Sprinters have relays too. Pretty sure Bolt runs in one.

The 1500M event was won by that Chinese dude last Olympics. It was a tour de force. You know if he is in it again?

 

He is and he is still quite hated. Got silver in the 400 the other night.