Michael Phelps is certainly a phenomenal swimmer. Yet, can you call him the best ever Olympian, when athletes in other disciplines don't have the same opportunities?
The athletes running the 110 hurdles don't get 8 or more medal chances. They get the 110m and maybe the 400m. No relays.
Many other disciplines are the same. 90% of the world's population don't have access to a decent pool, yet all of us can run. So maybe the best ever runner would be a better candidate?
Isn't it fairer to call Phelps the best ever Olympian swimmer and not necessarily the best Olympian?
Olympics - Is Michael Phelps Really The Best?
It depends how you judge it. Today, it's based upon the quantity of medals won. Probably in the future also, and in the past for all of the 20th century from what I can tell. Perhaps sad but true.
He does participate in different strokes of swimming. Runners only run in one way.
I read somewhere he swims about 5 miles a day and has been doing that since he is 12. Maybe runners train in a similar fashion but I don't think they do the "time" like that.
In ancient times people ran away from danger, the smart one's jumped into the water.
Pete 
He does participate in different strokes of swimming. Runners only run in one way.
I read somewhere he swims about 5 miles a day and has been doing that since he is 12. Maybe runners train in a similar fashion but I don't think they do the "time" like that.
In ancient times people ran away from danger, the smart one's jumped into the water.
Pete Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
To me there are several categories
1) Most medals
2) most medals excluding relays
3) medals won in multi sports ie Decathlon
4) most medals across a number of Olympic games
5) most medals in consecutive Olympic years
1) Most medals
2) most medals excluding relays
3) medals won in multi sports ie Decathlon
4) most medals across a number of Olympic games
5) most medals in consecutive Olympic years
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
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Guess
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It is an interesting debate and one that is always discussed by the Olympic Committee. I was involved in the sport in the late sixties and early seventies and this was being discussed then.
Generally if something works then no attempt is made to fix it. Also there would need to be outside pressure from nations who wanted new events and change.
I am unaware of any such pressure, so the swimming events carry on more or less unchanged.
The medals given are all for short to middle distance which keeps the number down. However the fact that there are four strokes means that there is potential for four times the number of events per set distance. This is then exacerbated by medleys and relays and combinations.
Swimmers are permitted to enter any number without restriction as far as I know.
Short and middle distance indoor swimming is restricted at this level to nations that have facilities. It is then restricted a little bit further by by the need for training.
So you end up with swimmers coming from an elite few individuals from an elite few countries.
So to say that any one man or woman is the greatest ever Olympian is meaningless nonsense. All they are is the person who has won the most medals on a system that allows for multiple chances for many individuals.
If you introduced 50M, 75M and 150M events to track sprinting along with relays that catered for those distances as well I am sure that you could get an individual to win a similar number of medals there.
No sport can possibly be considered above any other sport so I don't see the point of trying to compare a swimmer with a rifleman.
The problem with swimming is that there are two many events with little separation which invites a single on form individual to over succeed. Secondly only a very tiny percentage of the world's population get the chance to compete seriously.
So is Phelps the best Olympiad? No.
Is Phelps the best swimmer? There is no way of judging that. What he has proved is that he is the best of the competitors in a sport which is crammed with medal opportunities.
I do not want to take anything away from him. He has achieved more than anyone else in the same situation and the amount of work needed leading up to such an event is just beyond belief.
Perhaps the Olympic officials could come up with an Olympiathlon event which would be an extension of the pentathletics where that winner could be billed as the Olympics top athlete.
The contestant would have to run, jump, swim, cycle, play soccer and a net sport, lift weights, throw, ride a horse, shoot and participate in a combat sport and anything I have forgotten.
Generally if something works then no attempt is made to fix it. Also there would need to be outside pressure from nations who wanted new events and change.
I am unaware of any such pressure, so the swimming events carry on more or less unchanged.
The medals given are all for short to middle distance which keeps the number down. However the fact that there are four strokes means that there is potential for four times the number of events per set distance. This is then exacerbated by medleys and relays and combinations.
Swimmers are permitted to enter any number without restriction as far as I know.
Short and middle distance indoor swimming is restricted at this level to nations that have facilities. It is then restricted a little bit further by by the need for training.
So you end up with swimmers coming from an elite few individuals from an elite few countries.
So to say that any one man or woman is the greatest ever Olympian is meaningless nonsense. All they are is the person who has won the most medals on a system that allows for multiple chances for many individuals.
If you introduced 50M, 75M and 150M events to track sprinting along with relays that catered for those distances as well I am sure that you could get an individual to win a similar number of medals there.
No sport can possibly be considered above any other sport so I don't see the point of trying to compare a swimmer with a rifleman.
The problem with swimming is that there are two many events with little separation which invites a single on form individual to over succeed. Secondly only a very tiny percentage of the world's population get the chance to compete seriously.
So is Phelps the best Olympiad? No.
Is Phelps the best swimmer? There is no way of judging that. What he has proved is that he is the best of the competitors in a sport which is crammed with medal opportunities.
I do not want to take anything away from him. He has achieved more than anyone else in the same situation and the amount of work needed leading up to such an event is just beyond belief.
Perhaps the Olympic officials could come up with an Olympiathlon event which would be an extension of the pentathletics where that winner could be billed as the Olympics top athlete.
The contestant would have to run, jump, swim, cycle, play soccer and a net sport, lift weights, throw, ride a horse, shoot and participate in a combat sport and anything I have forgotten.
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redzonerocker
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phelps
great achievement which ever way you look at it 
i do though go for the description of 'greatest olympic swimmer ever' rather than olympian.
i do though go for the description of 'greatest olympic swimmer ever' rather than olympian.
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.