Phelps: Greatest Olympian of All Time, Period

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Leading up to the London Olympic Games, it was clear that America was turning the page on Michael Phelps.  Magazines, newspapers, and talk shows paraded Ryan Lochte around like an English springer spaniel at the Westminster Dog Show and we were told that this was “his time”.  In their first head to head race of these Olympics, Lochte seemed to back up the hype with a gold medal swim that saw Phelps missing the podium for the first time since birth.  Following that rare misstep, all Phelps proceeded to do was win six more medals (4 gold and 2 silver), in route to becoming the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.

With more hardware than a Home Depot, Phelps set records in London that some consider unbreakable, yet the debate over his place in history continues to build as quickly as his medal count.  It almost seems as if people are determined to not give the man his due.  I continue to be astounded by the idea that Phelps is not the greatest Olympian of all time, and the rationale behind such opinions is filled with more holes than a colander.

Let’s pretend for a moment that the fact that Phelps owns twice as many gold medals as the next closest competitor, doesn’t matter (because apparently it doesn’t to some people).  One of the more popular arguments against Phelps is that he has more opportunities to win medals because of the number of events he competes in.  This argument is flawed in multiple ways.  First, in order for Phelps to medal in all of these events, he must qualify for them.  His “free Subway sandwiches for life” card doesn’t give him a free pass into the finals.  Much like Tiger Woods in golf, Phelps’ dominance in the pool has led to a higher level of competition among his competitors.  This means that Phelps has to train harder than ever in every single event he competes in, in order to advance far enough to even have a chance to medal.

Another chink in the armor of this argument is that Phelps has dominated in multiple distances and multiple events.  It’s not as if he has racked up almost two dozen medals in a single event.  Phelps has trained and won in distances of 100M, 200M, and 400M; as well as Freestyle, Butterfly, and Individual Medley (which includes every stroke beside the doggie paddle).

Courtesy: Doug Mills/New York Times

For those who feel like his incredible performance in Beijing 4 years ago inflates his medal count, let me point out that even if you take away his 8 golds from 2008, Phelps would still have 14 overall medals; more than any other athlete whose name has been mentioned in the “greatest ever” debate.  Still not convinced?  Are you one who believes that the medals he has won in relay events shouldn’t count?  Ok, let’s take them away.  That still leaves 14 individual medals, again more than any other athlete in the debate.

Arguing against Michael Phelps as the greatest Olympic athlete of all time defies logic, so why do so many people continue to do it?  I believe it comes down to our inability (or perhaps simply our unwillingness) to acknowledge history as it occurs.  Sports history stirs up emotions and memories like nothing else.  As time marches on, the legacies of those athletes whom we’ve admired and idolized become etched in stone and take on more worth year in and year out.  The Olympics, with its ties to ancient cultures and internationally memorable moments, is perhaps the most historically significant sporting event in the world; therefore hindering us further in our ability to recognize greatness as it is happening.

In 20, 30, or 40 years, when Michael Phelps’ accomplishments remain the untouchable standard in international athletics, perhaps we will be more inclined to accept the truth.  For now, past history continues to cloud our judgment and spur on lively debates.  But while Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz, Nadia Comaneci, and Larisa Latynina were all incredible athletes in their own right, Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympic athlete of all time, period.