A lot of people have been talking about Michael Phelps lately, and with good reason. Saturday he became the first athlete to win eight gold medals at an Olympic games. Obviously that is an amazing feat, but the talk of him as the greatest athlete ever should really stop.
Before yesterday, was Mark Spitz thought of as the greatest athlete ever?No. And he wasn’t even in the team photo. So what was it about Phelps at these Olympics that launched him into that realm?
Hype.
That doesn’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I think Michael Phelps is an amazing swimmer. I’d even say the best swimmer ever, but to for the Beijing Olympics to set him above the likes of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jesse Owens, and Jim Thorpe (just to name a few) is ridiculous. Congratulations to Michael Phelps. Amazing accomplishment, but you’re not the greatest athlete ever. And I’m sure he’d agree.
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He is not the best, but he is one of the best. There can never be a greatest olympian, you cannot compare one sport with another. That is the problem with counting medals, as a sign of greatness. The press do, but it’s not the mark of the man.
He is a great olympian, that’s for sure. And he is alot nicer than Spitz by miles!