(no subject)

[dakegra]

holy carp, that Phelps boy is quite a swimmer, eh?

Greatest Olympian: Phelps or Redgrave. Discuss.


[edit] it'll be interesting to see if there's a UK/US bias to the answers on this one, I suspect

Comments

[megamole.livejournal.com]

Redgrave. Swimming is the most over-medalled part of the Olympics.

Arguably, the second greatest is not Phelps but Carl Lewis.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested to hear your argument on that one.

[nalsa.livejournal.com]

Redgrave; medals over a greater period of time means you keep the stronger, fitter, faster ethos for longer. Medalling at two Olympics is fine, but if Phelps still medalling in 2016 then I'll be impressed.

Plus, I can't think of his name without remembering Mission Impossible.

[sloopjonb.livejournal.com]

Too many medals in swimming. Backstroke, breastroke, crawl, medley, swimming with one hand tied behind your back, doggie-paddle, one foot in the air, with your PJs on, etc, etc. Sir Steve FTW.

[megamole.livejournal.com]

Variety of disciplines.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

unlike Sir Steve.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Phelps obviously. Swiming is primary, rowing secondary. The primal sports are the ones where its just you against the elements. The more equipment you need to perform your sport the less status it has.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

interesting argument!

[anonymous-greg.livejournal.com]

Which one: Lynn, Vanessa, or Michael?



<-- hasn't a clue about the Olympics

[jugglebug.livejournal.com]

I think the span of Sir Redgraves career must edge it. To stay at the top for that time takes something special IMO

[oed-1.livejournal.com]

Ohh, I am sure this is going to get me in trouble:

Phelps. It is hard to compair because the sports are completely different. Because of the nature of the sport, Redgrave has the oportunity to have a longer career (it is a very demanding sport, but differently so than swimming).

Also, Phelps has actually won medals...I know, I know, hear me out.

Sir Redgrave has not won a gold medal on his own. Every one was a team event. Phelps has won 7 gold's to date on his own. Just him against the competition. Two of the kinds of sports I don't think should be in the olympics is team versions of individual competition, and judged events.

Working without tools, by himself, and breaking every record out there...Phelps.

Ohh, Carl Lewis is still the top.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

a good argument, well put.

Why Lewis over Phelps?

[oed-1.livejournal.com]

Well, for now it's because of the career. Golds in the olympics from 84 to 96...doing pretty good. Also, I like the fact he is not only a sprinter, but a long jumper as well.

Yes, he has some 'ego' issues (not a good winner from what I remember). But it is because of him that the track and field events got airtime in the US in 1984...people watched the olympics to watch him. Not since Jesse Owens have people cared that much.

I think that Phelps could be 'number one' in my book, but we will see.

[anonymous-greg.livejournal.com]

So we're not talking about Lynn or Vanessa?

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

Vannessa, and Jim.

[anonymous-greg.livejournal.com]

I'd kind of rather he not win anything more -- he just looks all kinds of creepy when he wins. O.O

[oed-1.livejournal.com]

Yea, forgot about the smashing of speed records (not just from him, but a TON of people).

Those are not feet...they are paddles.

[oed-1.livejournal.com]

Yea, he does have a weird look when he wins...I notice there are not very many pictures of those looks when you see news stories on him (grin)

[anonymous-greg.livejournal.com]

Probably abnormally long arms for anybody's body. Probably.

[missprinty.livejournal.com]

Redgrave, deffo. Just because. And also, rowing is bloody hard work. Any fool can swim, but rowing takes a special kind of lunatic dedication, especially in Britian, turning up at crack of dawn, rowing in February into incipient snowstorms etc. Plus, wee bro jolly nearly made the commonwealth squad in his younger and fitter days, but army commitments got in the way of training. Though he did get the world's shiniest rowing machine shipped out to Bosnia for him to practice on. Although OTOH, he did train and club swim with one of the aussie guys from the Sydney commonwealth squad, though not the Thorpedo, whose feet are even more gigantic than Phelps. So yeah, I will watch sports and cheer for heroes in any sport that I have stood on sidelines and cheered for wee bro, but I think that rowing is more impresive, plus Redgrave is a really nice bloke.

[thebabynancy.livejournal.com]

That boy has spliced his DNA with that or a sword fish, or something.

[thebabynancy.livejournal.com]

p.s. I suppose by the number of Gold medals... Phelps is the better of the two.