XXIX Olympiad (Otherwise known as the 2008 Olympic Games)

[boldie]

Great text been sent in to the BBC website:

"Well done, Michael Phelps. I wonder how many Carl Lewis would have won if there were medals for running in slightly different, inefficient ways."

+1 The massive medal haul doesn't mean nearly as much as Carl Lewis' did IMO.

[Jon MW]

Great text been sent in to the BBC website:

"Well done, Michael Phelps. I wonder how many Carl Lewis would have won if there were medals for running in slightly different, inefficient ways."

+1 The massive medal haul doesn't mean nearly as much as Carl Lewis' did IMO.

Why?

[Rookie (Rodney)]

Great text been sent in to the BBC website:

"Well done, Michael Phelps. I wonder how many Carl Lewis would have won if there were medals for running in slightly different, inefficient ways."

+1 The massive medal haul doesn't mean nearly as much as Carl Lewis' did IMO.

Does he swim bad then?

[boldie]

Great text been sent in to the BBC website:

"Well done, Michael Phelps. I wonder how many Carl Lewis would have won if there were medals for running in slightly different, inefficient ways."

+1 The massive medal haul doesn't mean nearly as much as Carl Lewis' did IMO.

Why?

Simply because there are a ridiculous amount of medals being given to Swimmers (oh boy, i can feel the wrath of the world coming here) it is indeed almost getting to the stage where you would include a "walking backwards" event in Track and Field. Phelps is one of the, if not the, best swimmer in the world...but the amount of events he can win a medal in for what is, essentially, the same sport is too long to be on a par with Carl Lewis. Carl also has less "team" medals to his name.

Carl Lewis' list;

1984 23 Track & Field 100m Men GOLD USA 9.99
1984 23 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.54
1984 23 Track & Field 200m Men GOLD USA 19.80
1984 23 Track & Field 4x100m Relay Men GOLD USA 37.83
1988 27 Track & Field 100m Men GOLD USA 9.92
1988 27 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.72
1988 27 Track & Field 200m Men SILVER USA 19.79
1992 31 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.67
1992 31 Track & Field 4x100m Relay Men GOLD USA 37.40
1996 35 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.50


Phelp's List;

4×200 m Freestyle Relay (World Record)  
200m Butterfly Gold (World Record)
200 m Freestyle Gold (World Record)
4×100 m Freestyle Relay Gold (World Record)
400 m Individual Medley Gold (World Record)
Athens, 2004:

100 m Butterfly Gold (Olympic Record)
200 m Butterfly Gold (Olympic Record)
200 m Individual Medley Gold (Olympic Record)
400 m Individual Medley Gold (World Record)
4 x 100 m Medley Relay Gold
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay Gold (American Record)
4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay Bronze
200 m Freestyle Bronze (American Record)

[Colchester Kev]

Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete in the world ever.

end of discussion.

[boldie]

Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete in the world ever.

end of discussion.

Wouldn't disagree with that either TBH.

[Jon MW]

Phelps:
can do - Freestyle, Butterfly and Medley

Carl Lewis:
can do - running and long jump

But no combination event. Phelps win

Phelps:
can do - 100m, 200m and 400m

Carl Lewis:
can do - 100m and 200m

Phelps win

The events for Carl Lewis to have as much variety as Phelps are and were there - he just couldn't do them.

[kinboshi]

Great text been sent in to the BBC website:

"Well done, Michael Phelps. I wonder how many Carl Lewis would have won if there were medals for running in slightly different, inefficient ways."

+1 The massive medal haul doesn't mean nearly as much as Carl Lewis' did IMO.

Why?

Simply because there are a ridiculous amount of medals being given to Swimmers (oh boy, i can feel the wrath of the world coming here) it is indeed almost getting to the stage where you would include a "walking backwards" event in Track and Field. Phelps is one of the, if not the, best swimmer in the world...but the amount of events he can win a medal in for what is, essentially, the same sport is too long to be on a par with Carl Lewis. Carl also has less "team" medals to his name.

Carl Lewis' list;

1984 23 Track & Field 100m Men GOLD USA 9.99
1984 23 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.54
1984 23 Track & Field 200m Men GOLD USA 19.80
1984 23 Track & Field 4x100m Relay Men GOLD USA 37.83
1988 27 Track & Field 100m Men GOLD USA 9.92
1988 27 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.72
1988 27 Track & Field 200m Men SILVER USA 19.79
1992 31 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.67
1992 31 Track & Field 4x100m Relay Men GOLD USA 37.40
1996 35 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.50


Phelp's List;

4×200 m Freestyle Relay (World Record)  
200m Butterfly Gold (World Record)
200 m Freestyle Gold (World Record)
4×100 m Freestyle Relay Gold (World Record)
400 m Individual Medley Gold (World Record)
Athens, 2004:

100 m Butterfly Gold (Olympic Record)
200 m Butterfly Gold (Olympic Record)
200 m Individual Medley Gold (Olympic Record)
400 m Individual Medley Gold (World Record)
4 x 100 m Medley Relay Gold
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay Gold (American Record)
4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay Bronze
200 m Freestyle Bronze (American Record)

Why isn't there a 200m relay in athletics?  

60m event?

What about a 150m?

Maybe a 200m and 400m events, but running in a straight line, rather than round a track?


Phelps is brilliant, as was Lewis - both amongst the greatest Olympians.  Although it's definitely easier for a Phelps to win more medals than a Lewis.  

One of the British rowers (in fact it might have been Sir Steve) was lamenting on the fact that some single-scull rowing event wasn't included as an Olympic event, as two of our rowers would have been competing with each other for the gold.  Instead they had to row as a pair.

Another interesting thing, in the weightlifting, each country is only allowed to enter 4 or 5 competitors - so China for example, couldn't enter someone into every weight class - meaning they missed out on drug-enhanced medal opportunities.  

[kinboshi]

Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete in the world ever.

end of discussion.

Roman Sebrle is better.

[boldie]

Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete in the world ever.

end of discussion.

Roman Sebrle is better.

Jim Thorpe
After the 1912 Olympics, in which Thorpe won the decathlon and pentathlon, King Gustav V of Sweden called him "the greatest athlete in the world." True.


Thorpe could do it all in track and field, and he was the best football player of his era, leading the Carlisle Indian School team to the 1912 national college championship and the Canton Bulldogs to three unofficial pro titles between 1916 and 1919. Thorpe was an awesome runner, a tenacious tackler, and drop-kicked 50-yard field goals with ease. Thorpe also played baseball, putting in six major-league seasons with the Giants, Reds and Braves and hitting a career .252.


In 1950 Thorpe was named the best athlete of the first half of the 20th century.

[kinboshi]

Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete in the world ever.

end of discussion.

Roman Sebrle is better.

Jim Thorpe
After the 1912 Olympics, in which Thorpe won the decathlon and pentathlon, King Gustav V of Sweden called him "the greatest athlete in the world." True.


Thorpe could do it all in track and field, and he was the best football player of his era, leading the Carlisle Indian School team to the 1912 national college championship and the Canton Bulldogs to three unofficial pro titles between 1916 and 1919. Thorpe was an awesome runner, a tenacious tackler, and drop-kicked 50-yard field goals with ease. Thorpe also played baseball, putting in six major-league seasons with the Giants, Reds and Braves and hitting a career .252.


In 1950 Thorpe was named the best athlete of the first half of the 20th century.

Ahhhh!  The good old days...

[boldie]

Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete in the world ever.

end of discussion.

Roman Sebrle is better.

Jim Thorpe
After the 1912 Olympics, in which Thorpe won the decathlon and pentathlon, King Gustav V of Sweden called him "the greatest athlete in the world." True.


Thorpe could do it all in track and field, and he was the best football player of his era, leading the Carlisle Indian School team to the 1912 national college championship and the Canton Bulldogs to three unofficial pro titles between 1916 and 1919. Thorpe was an awesome runner, a tenacious tackler, and drop-kicked 50-yard field goals with ease. Thorpe also played baseball, putting in six major-league seasons with the Giants, Reds and Braves and hitting a career .252.


In 1950 Thorpe was named the best athlete of the first half of the 20th century.

Ahhhh!  The good old days...

I remember watching him live on Pay per View...good times indeed.

[Josedinho]

How has swimming got like this then?

On the track there is a distance. Get from the start to the finish as quick as possible.
In the pool it's not like that. Strokes that make you go slower have been encouraged.

[AndrewT]

How has swimming got like this then?

On the track there is a distance. Get from the start to the finish as quick as possible.
In the pool it's not like that. Strokes that make you go slower have been encouraged.

Except when they put hurdles in the way.

Or a waterjump.

[thetank]

What a load of nonsense. Track athletes should be last in the queue behind gymnasts when it comes to moaning about how many medals the swimmers get.


So you're a sprinter, howzabout the...

100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles.

You feel hard done by coz there's no 60m?

I say go choose from one of the following...

High jumping into a lake, long jumping into a lake, hop skip and jumping into a lake, jumping with a stick into a lake.



If you want to compromise, I would be open to the idea of introducing a Sextathlon.