Michael phelps is NOT greatest olympian ever b/c....
Former Member
This is not my opinion, but have heard this argued multiple times the past few days
He is swimming in a upper class white dominated sport. If swimming were more accessible to inner city black kids then he would have more competition and a deeper talent pool To compete against and he would not come close to his medal count.
Everyone can run, so usain bolt or carl Lewis are the best Olympians ever bc they accomplished what they did against the unquestionable best the world could possible throw at them
What say you?
Parents
Former Member
Who is the greatest olympian ever is an question that cannot be answered until the criteria for judging is established. Until then, its a subjective question where simple opinion rules the choice. How do you compare someone with 6 gold medals in Dressage with someone with 6 gold medals in greco-roman wrestling? Attempting to lessen the validity of one sport over the other is incorrect and elitist. The International Olympic Committee determines if a sport is Olympic or Not. They do not assign "weights" to individual sports. While I agree that inner-city children are less likely to engage in competitive swimming due to a lack of available facilities, drawing conclusions about the calibre of current swimmers based on this theory is not sound.
Is Michael Phelps the best olympian ever? Stupid question that cannot be factually answered. Does Michael Phelps hold the most olympic medals in current history? That question can be answered factually...
Who is the greatest olympian ever is an question that cannot be answered until the criteria for judging is established. Until then, its a subjective question where simple opinion rules the choice. How do you compare someone with 6 gold medals in Dressage with someone with 6 gold medals in greco-roman wrestling? Attempting to lessen the validity of one sport over the other is incorrect and elitist. The International Olympic Committee determines if a sport is Olympic or Not. They do not assign "weights" to individual sports. While I agree that inner-city children are less likely to engage in competitive swimming due to a lack of available facilities, drawing conclusions about the calibre of current swimmers based on this theory is not sound.
Is Michael Phelps the best olympian ever? Stupid question that cannot be factually answered. Does Michael Phelps hold the most olympic medals in current history? That question can be answered factually...
