Greatest Olympian

**katmills2005** · 20th August 08, 05:28 AM

Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia- 11 Medals total, 7 of them Gold

She began as a figure skater and changed to gymnastics in her teens.

Matt Biondi and Mark Spitz, both US swimmers with 11 metals each.

**Colin** · 20th August 08, 09:31 AM

Personally I think there are way to many swimming and gymnastics events. We're losing baseball and softball, rugby is long gone, but we can have a horse jumping and trampoline?

Given the number of these events and the ability to train for more than one style of swimming or gymnastics it is easy to see how some people could rack up the medals in more than one swimming or gymnastics competition. Even our local swim teams train in more than just style. I am certainly no Olympian, but if I went to the gym and only did the same thing 3-4 days a week or if every soccer game was the same kind of play and outcome I would be bored senseless.

I think adding the title "Greatest Olympian" is too great of a responsibility to anyone. I won't even touch the greatest athlete comment that has been floating around. It's a title which it too hard to measure. Olympians today are afforded more free time to practice, better technology to gauge heart rate, speed, etc, better coaches, and better training. You can't compare a modern athlete with those of the past who were the "Greatest Olympian" of their time. I think we also have to remember than some of Phelps medal wins are as a relay team in which he is a part of more than himself.

Every Olympic games will have it's superstars and some will put their signature on the games, but there will always be someone better in the future. Having said that, it has been fun to watch Phelps set new records and shine in these Olympic Games.

**AtagahiKC** · 20th August 08, 10:15 AM

Although the American Indian in me wants to say Jim Thorpe was the best Olympian (he was from the Sac and Fox tribe), I can't. He might have been a more rounded athlete outside the Olympics, playing baseball, football and basketball, but he did not compete in the Olympics in those events so those can't be taken into consideration as Greatest Olympian.

I think that saying he is more rounded an athlete simply because he competed in the pentathlon and decathlon as opposed to Phelps who competed in swimming is equally specious.

I don't see the logic in saying that competing in track and field events is any different than competing solely in swimming events. The pentathlon and decathlon are solely track and field events in the same way as all of Phelps' events were in the swimming genre.

As others have pointed out, each type of swimming requires mastery of different sets of skills, just like the pentathlon and decathlon do in track and field. Swimming also requires as much control of breathing and lung capacity development as running.

As some of his events were team events, he went one better than the decathlon or pentathlon as he had to show the skills to work as a team.

He swam 17 races in the space of a week. He was burning 4000 calories in practice, so who knows how much he burned in all those races? He literally eats, swims and sleeps six days a week, all year long, in order to compete.

There is no off-season like in track - he has to train and compete year-round. That means he has no substantive social life, as well. I just can't think of any track and field events that require that level of training and dedication to compete, much less to win.

I'd even go so far as to say that what Phelps accomplished is the equivalent of a swimming "octothalon", if you will. He competed in eight events and won gold in each. His mastery of the mental fortitude and round-the-clock training alone to accomplish that is amazing.

Jim Thorpe was an amazing athlete in a time where it was difficult for any person of color to succeed. He faced racism and other problems throughout his life despite his accomplishments. Despite his succumbing to alcoholism, I think he well might have been the greatest athlete of the 20th Century.

In my opinion, Phelps' title of "Greatest Olympian" is well-deserved. There is nothing to say that someone can't seize the title from him by competing and winning more gold medals in track and field or other events. But until that happens, he is the Greatest Olympian to me.

**Nervous Jock** · 20th August 08, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Colin

We're losing baseball and softball,

Shouldn't be olympic sports anyway

**beloitpiper** · 20th August 08, 01:38 PM

Jesse Owens.

Not only was he a considerable athlete, but he symbolized what the Olympics are all about. To me, he is the greatest Olympian.

**Colin** · 20th August 08, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Nervous Jock

Shouldn't be olympic sports anyway

Not being a baseball fan, I won't really argue with you, but when compared to horse jumping (seriously Canada's silver medal winner is 61!!) or the talk of adding golf (!!???!!!!????) I think the Olympic committee needs to simplify a bit.

**robthehiker** · 20th August 08, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Colin

(seriously Canada's silver medal winner is 61!!)

And he's planning on competing in 2012 at age 65! It will be his 11th Olympics (would have been 12th except for the Moscow boycott).

**katmills2005** · 21st August 08, 04:40 AM

What is it about horse jumping that makes you feel it is not a viable Olympic sport? Many years go into training for both the rider and the horse. It is probably one of the most dangerous sports in the Olympics. Do you have to be under the age of 25 to be an Olympic class athlete? Granted that it is a sport that is relatively young (1700's) but there is a lot more that goes into it than just climbing onto a horses back and saying "giddy-up."

**robthehiker** · 21st August 08, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by katmills2005

What is it about horse jumping that makes you feel it is not a viable Olympic sport? Many years go into training for both the rider and the horse. It is probably one of the most dangerous sports in the Olympics. Do you have to be under the age of 25 to be an Olympic class athlete? Granted that it is a sport that is relatively young (1700's) but there is a lot more that goes into it than just climbing onto a horses back and saying "giddy-up."

I'll preface this with "I know very little about horse jumping".

The question I ask myself is "how can a 60+ year old be a top athlete in a sport?". <ducks>

I reserve the right to change my mind about this in, oh, about 15 years.

**katmills2005** · 21st August 08, 06:54 AM

"It goes back to my good Maritime genes," is how Millar, who was born in Halifax, explained his remarkable longevity to CBC Sports. "You've got to have a good, healthy, strong body to be able to do this, and you've got to be able to take the falls and bangs you get."

Aside from the olympics, there are other "old" athletes that have made their mark in sports. Alma Evetts is a good example. She rode in competition barrel racing until she was 84 years old. Keep in mind she also did not start racing in the rodeo circuit until she was 63 and had a highly successful career.