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.

nah, maybe run the 50 backwards. maybe high step the 100. Swimming is propelling yourself through the water.

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.

 

Winner.

 

The Bolt argument is weak. There are plenty of opportunities for medals outside of the events he does.

He COULD do hurdles. He COULD do the jumps. He COULD do middle distance. He doesn't. Hell, he isn't even doing the 4 x 200 or the 400...

nah, maybe run the 50 backwards. maybe high step the 100. Swimming is propelling yourself through the water.

 

See the above post then.

See the above post then.

I'm a tough sell.:lol2:

Just look at current UK track star and North Hardin alum Kianna Gray. Her senior year she won the following events at the state meet:

 

100m

100mh

200m

400m

 

I'm not positive but I would assume she ran on the 4 x 100 and/or 4 x 200 as well.

 

The point being. There IS opportunity for someone like Bolt to pick up more medals. There is a very similar amount of opportunity as swimmers have.

 

To dismiss mastering all the different strokes -- especially in a time of specialist -- as "the same thing" is laughable at best.

To add to it. That's an opportunity at 5 medals in sprint events + the 4 x 400 to get us to six in ONLY sprint events. Throw in the short hurdles -- which sprinters tend to do well at and we're at 7. Then the jumping events that sprinters also tend to do very well at and we get to at least 8...

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.

 

I don't mean ease of mastery. I just mean there are dozens of different events. That opportunity is there and swimmers are taught those strokes from a very early age.

 

It would definitely help if Bolt ran the 400 as well. The various relays and medleys also give other opportunities for the best swimmers.

 

I'm not trying to take anything away from Phelps and, per my original point, if Bolt doesn't sweep the sprints again this year, the whole thing is moot.

I don't mean ease of mastery. I just mean there are dozens of different events. That opportunity is there and swimmers are taught those strokes from a very early age.

 

It would definitely help if Bolt ran the 400 as well. The various relays and medleys also give other opportunities for the best swimmers.

 

I'm not trying to take anything away from Phelps and, per my original point, if Bolt doesn't sweep the sprints again this year, the whole thing is moot.

 

He's not even going to run half the sprints. How is he going to sweep them?

He's not even going to run half the sprints. How is he going to sweep them?

 

Which of the 100, 200, and 4x100 relay is he not doing? He's swept those the last two Olympics.

Which of the 100, 200, and 4x100 relay is he not doing? He's swept those the last two Olympics.

 

400, 4 x 200, 4 x 400. All are considered sprints.

 

Edit: I honestly didn't realize that there was no 4 x 200 in the Olympics. The other two remain

400, 4 x 200, 4 x 400. All are considered sprints.

 

Edit: I honestly didn't realize that there was no 4 x 200 in the Olympics. The other two remain

 

Didn't know 400 was considered a sprint. Yeah, I'd have liked to see him run it.

 

There is no 4x200 at the Olympics.

Didn't know 400 was considered a sprint. Yeah, I'd have liked to see him run it.

 

There is no 4x200 at the Olympics.

 

100, 200, 400 are sprints

800 and 1500 are middle distance

5k and 10k are long distance

Didn't know 400 was considered a sprint. Yeah, I'd have liked to see him run it.

 

For sure. When I ran it in HS, if you weren't sprinting, you weren't winning.

Is this the 4th Olympics that Phelps has medaled in or the 4th he won Gold?

 

He swam a faster split last night 41.0 than he did 4 years ago 41.7 according to the announcer last night. He has been a beast in the pool.

 

I love Bolt, he is a freak, but for the reasons mentioned earlier I can't name him greatest Olympian ever.

5th Olympics for M. Phelps. 4th Olympics that he has gold medaled.

 

No medals in the 2000 Olympics....