Comments - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Debate

Souransu

Souransu — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

What Michael Phelps has achieved is undoubtedly huge. It would be almost impossible to beat his record of eight golds in a single Olympics. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest. But to compare him with others is not justified. He had the opportunity to participate in 8 different disciplines because swimming provided him for that. The same is not the case with other disciplines.

Christopher

Christopher — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I don’t think it is fair to compare Michael Phelps with other Olympic greats like Jesse Owens, Daley Thompson, Carl Lewis or even Mark Spitz. Different disciplines and different eras don’t make for a fair comparison.

Desh

Desh — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

There’s nothing to be apprehensive about as far as Phelps’ success in the Olympics is concerned. One thing is definitely praiseworthy he’s extremely down to earth and humane as well in not forcing anyone to hurl accolades upon him.

8 Golds and still counting- this says a lot about him and he doesn’t need any attestation of greatness from anyone.

Shamshed

Shamshed — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Undoubtedly he is the greatest Olympian of all time. Not only he got eight gold medals, he got most of them in world record timings. Before coming to Beijing he had already declared that he will go for eight golds and he did. This is the true mark of a champion.

Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Yes he is perhaps the greatest of them all. I just wish that he doesn’t get caught using performance enhancers though he doesn’t seem like a person who would do so. But then some who were caught like Marion Jones didn’t look like other.

Kate

Kate — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The greatest Olympian cannot be decided in a swimming pool as it can’t be on the tracks or gymnasiums. To be a truly great champion one must be not only the top athlete winning many medals but also be an ambassador for what the Olympics stand for - world peace and unity.

R.M.Paulraj

R.M.Paulraj — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Hi Kate,

Would you ever expect a Miss World contestant to be a great diplomat to admit her greatness in her field?

Phelps is great in his own field, that is sports, and let us not be too rigid or too mean in admitting this.

Kate

Kate — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Would you ever expect a Miss World contestant to be a great diplomat to admit her greatness in her field?

Most certainly YES! Do you know the real reason and cause behind the contest that is run by the Miss World Organization? So far it has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for charities around the world under the banner of its ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ program.

Verena

Verena — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I think he is the greatest Olympian of all time simply because after he won his first three gold medals the world was watching only one athlete perform. By the time he reached his fifth gold half the world was egging for him to go and win all the eight!

R.M.Paulraj

R.M.Paulraj — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The way he attracted the world attention, and consequently raised its expectation of him, was great. He met the expectations of many.

Prasad

Prasad — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

He is a superman. His body is built to be a champion swimmer. I heard that he eats 12000 calories a day. That is six times the diet of a normal physically fit human being. He is 6 men X 1. He is simply awesome.

R.M.Paulraj

R.M.Paulraj — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Being too stingy in conceding one’s triumph is the mark of those who don’t know what consists of a great achievement.

Emmett

Emmett — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

There is a possibility that Michael Phelps has been injected with whale DNA. You might find it funny but have a look at this article. This is becoming scarier by the day. Imagine what if the genes mutate and he turns out to be a whale? He will just jump into the sea and swim away for ever. :D

Alex

Alex — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Wasn’t Cassius Clay a great Olympian? Did gave it all for his country, won the gold in Light Heavyweight Boxing in 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. How many categories of boxing could he participate in? JUST ONE! That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t one of America’s greatest ever athletes. He is still considered to be the greatest boxer ever. Phelps might be the greatest swimmer ever. But the notion of greatest Olympian is simply a sham.

Robert

Robert — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I agree with you that there is no such thing as Greatest Olympian. Your argument that athletes performing in different disciplines cannot be compared sounds very good to me. Only an idiot would go into such comparisons.

Vi

Vi — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

A broadcaster commented on Phelps achievement as

“Michael Phelps has done everything in the water this week, except walk on it.”

Eight Golds! This is what the height of achievement is.

Roger

Roger — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Americans live in great times these days. They have the greatest ever president, they have the greatest ever army, they have the greatest ever economy and now they have the greatest ever Olympian. Very good times indeed.