Phelps is a all-time great but what's with all the correlated events?

[Bill Dozer]

Legit Q to anyone who understands swimming and the Olympics...

The media is going on an on about Phelps as the most decorated Olympian. He is a legend but shouldn't a great swimmer always be the most decorated? These guys swim the same race a million different ways it seems. And, they can swim their best event again in team relay format. Now this underwear model Latche suddenly has 10 medals?

By comparison how many different ways could a Usain Bolt run? How many events could the best gymnast get in? Is this obvious but the media doesnt want to downplay all his medals?

[Jerm3462]

What's he supposed to do? Archery?

[boeing power]

100% correct bill

And there are too many fuking swimming medals.

[CanuckG]

What about all the swimmers who swim the same events but don't medal nearly as much? You still have to be dominant to win medals.

[Bill Dozer]

What's he supposed to do? Archery?

The Olympics is supposed to be a pressure cooker right? How disappointed are you really if you don't win but have another try in the afternoon and the next day. If the Archer missed the bullseye and someone else hits it, he's going home. He doesnt get to try it backwards or through his legs tomorrow (or does he?).

[Jerm3462]

LOL! U guys are whining.
Too many swimming medals? how come none of the other olympic swimmers the past 100 years have all those medals?

Phelps is legend

[Bill Dozer]

What about all the swimmers who swim the same events but don't medal nearly as much? You still have to be dominant to win medals.

No doubt, the best swimmer, but he' single handedly responsible for the USA's medal count. Phelps vs China.

How many Olympic events and Olympians are there? But all we see is swimming which seems to be a 3 week deal.

[shari91]

They were talking about this on Aussie news last week about Ian Thorpe and some of the other swimmers here. They get all this praise for the number of medals they've won but they get that many more chances each Olympics to get one. One medal for other sports should be considered the same as like 5 for a swimmer who enters 13 bloody races each Olympics.

[Jerm3462]

The Olympics is supposed to be a pressure cooker right? How disappointed are you really if you don't win but have another try in the afternoon and the next day. If the Archer missed the bullseye and someone else hits it, he's going home. He doesnt get to try it backwards or through his legs tomorrow (does he?).

True I guess. but you shouldn't take away from what the kid has accomplished. if the olympic committee schedules 400 swimming events, rock on brother

[Bill Dozer]

True I guess. but you shouldn't take away from what the kid has accomplished. if the olympic committee schedules 400 swimming events, rock on brother

Right I got swimmers in my family and like to watch but you get no love if youre the gold medalist in darts.

[Chi_archie]

its hard to stay on top like phelps has for 4 olympics

doesn't matter what sport you do, that is impressive, bit its more impressive in swimming.

the different strokes are night and day.

being good at butterfly and free style is impressive.

50-100-200 in meters

its rare to see anyone crossover and do all three of those. and those are the distances that most of the big medal winners do.

a good gymnast could win conceivably win a medal in the team, all around, and each individual but still come up short pf phelps/spitz individual numbers

[mathdotcom]

Carl Lewis is greatest olympian

Gold in 4 different olympics and in different sports

If there were 47 types of long jump like there are in swimming then no one would be saying this about phelps

[k13]

Very lame. Who cares about bunch of swimming medals......basically like he won one medal.
Makes the medal standings gay too, 100 medals in swimming, blah.

Win swimming, go win the 100m sprint then win a ping pong match against a chinese and I'll be impressed.

[onlooker]

Why hasn't any other swimmer been the most decorated? If a good swimmer should be the most decorated. Larisa Latynina was a gymnast, and her record held for 48 years.

You have to be in great shape to do all these swims for a week. The semi's and finals add up. At some point the body will break down and fatigue.

Hell, wasn't it Missy that did 2 swims in 10 minutes? She won Gold on the second one.

I don't take anything away from the guy, it is very impressive.

[mathdotcom]

Why hasn't any other swimmer been the most decorated? If a good swimmer should be the most decorated. Larisa Latynina was a gymnast, and her record held for 48 years.

You have to be in great shape to do all these swims for a week. The semi's and finals add up. At some point the body will break down and fatigue.

Hell, wasn't it Missy that did 2 swims in 10 minutes? She won Gold on the second one.

I don't take anything away from the guy, it is very impressive.

English please

[k13]

Maybe they should have a 100m, 200m sprints backwards.....

[opie1988]

Dozer is only upset that his beloved home of Costa Rica got yet another goose egg in the Olympics this year.

Hey Billy....too bad they don't have "shoveling a defecate hole" as a timed event, pal. Y'all would dominate!

Costa Rica

[boeing power]

Carl Lewis is greatest olympian

Gold in 4 different olympics and in different sports

If there were 47 types of long jump like there are in swimming then no one would be saying this about phelps

That juiced up motherfuker.

You have to be joking mathy.

[boeing power]

Maybe they should have a 100m, 200m sprints backwards.....

And 300,400,500,600,etc,etc

[onlooker]

Carl Lewis is greatest olympian

Gold in 4 different olympics and in different sports

If there were 47 types of long jump like there are in swimming then no one would be saying this about phelps

Punctuation please.

[CanuckG]

Carl Lewis is greatest olympian

Gold in 4 different olympics and in different sports

If there were 47 types of long jump like there are in swimming then no one would be saying this about phelps

doping

[Jerm3462]

Very lame.

Win swimming, go win the 100m sprint then win a ping pong match against a chinese and I'll be impressed.

LOL again.
so you're impressed beating a china man at a childrens game, but you're not impressed at a human that can swim like a tuna....... something's wrong here

[k13]

Dozer is only upset that his beloved home of Costa Rica got yet another goose egg in the Olympics this year.

Hey Billy....too bad they don't have "shoveling a defecate hole" as a timed event, pal. Y'all would dominate!

Costa Rica

All of Costa Rica's Medals have come in Swimming, shows you how lame swimming.

[mathdotcom]

Punctuation please.

Son at least you can understand wtf I'm saying

[QuantumLeap]

Carl Lewis is greatest olympian

Gold in 4 different olympics and in different sports

If there were 47 types of long jump like there are in swimming then no one would be saying this about phelps

100m, 200m, 4X100m relay, 4x200m relay, long jump, triple jump.

All relating to someone with speed. Not all that different than swimming.

[onlooker]

Son at least you can understand wtf I'm saying

Whatever buddy.

[k13]

LOL again.
so you're impressed beating a china man at a childrens game, but you're not impressed at a human that can swim like a tuna....... something's wrong here

Yeah. More skill in table tennis than swimming.

Maybe if he beats a Sailfish in a race than we can be all impressed.

[mathdotcom]

100m, 200m, 4X100m relay, 4x200m relay, long jump, triple jump.

All relating to someone with speed. Not all that different than swimming.

That's max 6 medals AND you're competing in 2 different sports

[k13]

How about put Bolt against a Cheetah??

I don't know if he could even beat a bunny.....

[convick]

its hard to stay on top like phelps has for 4 olympics

doesn't matter what sport you do, that is impressive, bit its more impressive in swimming.

the different strokes are night and day.

being good at butterfly and free style is impressive.

50-100-200 in meters

its rare to see anyone crossover and do all three of those. and those are the distances that most of the big medal winners do.

a good gymnast could win conceivably win a medal in the team, all around, and each individual but still come up short pf phelps/spitz individual numbers

Phelps isnt at his best here. He wasnt at his best in Sydney either. Guy didnt even medal.

Peak years were 2003-2009. Guy is still very good though.

[Bill Dozer]

Dozer is only upset that his beloved home of Costa Rica got yet another goose egg in the Olympics this year.

Hey Billy....too bad they don't have "shoveling a defecate hole" as a timed event, pal. Y'all would dominate!

Costa Rica

Come down to Costa Rica and I'll show you the record time for a 6'4 "defecate hole".

[Naz18]

Been saying/thinking this for a long time...

[ChalkyDog]

This is simple. It is insanely hard to accumulate those many medals, because of the longevity one needs. Phelps made it to 3 different olympics. 12 years of being at the top of their game, in a world where you are old at 23.

Phelps is a legend.

And, if it wasn't for Swimming, we would be trailing the goddamn Chinese - who literally clean up in diving. If you want to bitch about a meaningless and too many event sport, it is diving.

[ProfitBettingSov]

Yeah, it's just easy competing in so many events. All Phelps has to do is wake up, jump in the pool, swim a few laps and he gets rewarded.

No stamina, no time recovery needed is there?

[Chi_archie]

They need some skipping events in track and field