[Wellspotted]

The NBC commentators are now calling Michael Phelps the "best ever" Olympian.

Do you agree?

What makes an Olympic athlete "great"?

No train wrecks, please.

[FalseImpression]

He is the best ever swimmer... I mean just count the medals he won at the Olympics... who can top that... in any discipline!

[Foxtrot's]

He is 'best ever' according to the medal count. He is an amazing athlete, but some sports do not enable an athlete to collect 19 medals, unless they attended, say 19 Olympic Games, or some, say 9 games, when they only allocate one/two medal per sport. In eventing, for instance, you could win a team and an individual, but that's it. In swimming, gymnastics, track, they have multiple chances per Games. I think I put that somewhat clumsily.

[Paragon]

He is 'best ever' according to the medal count. He is an amazing athlete, but some sports do not enable an athlete to collect 19 medals, unless they attended, say 19 Olympic Games, or some, say 9 games, when they only allocate one/two medal per sport.

Agreed!

It's also worth mentioning that, in any event in which he doesn't hold a record, he's clearly not the "best" at. He's cursed to be part of a timed sport, and so the times he posts will always be challenged, perhaps overcome. While dressage can be subjective and courses change from year to year for eventing and jumping, the ticking of the clock for running, swimming, rowing, etc etc remains ever constant.

A great, great athlete. Yes. Not the best all-around or the best ever. Such a measure is inherently inaccurate.

[danceronice]

Makes sense to me, Foxtrot's--in skating, they've introduced a Team event (or are trying to) and that brings the grand total medals per Olympics a skater can win is...two. IF they happen to be from countries that can field an entire team (a lot only have, say, a dance couple, or a single lady, or a pair team. You need all four for the team challenge.) Remove the team event and skaters have a chance to win one medal per Olympiad. They'd have to compete in old age to have any chance of matching that sort of record. Obviously it's not impossible to go to, say, ten Olympics (hello, Ian Millar) but the odds of doing that and medaling are long.

Greatest Olympic swimmer ever? Sure. Greatest athlete? Nah. That's still Thorpe. Best ever in raw medal count? Undeniable.

[Beverley]

His achievement is certainly incredible. But I'm always a bit cynical about these 'best ever' monikers, regardless of the sport.In horse racing, how can you say Secretariat is better than Man O' War- no way to tell, they ran in vastly different conditions, different footing, different nutrition, etc.

Among humans- in tennis, how would Roger Federer stack up against Rod Laver, if Rod were in his prime today, using today's equipment?

I could go on- and again, what Michael Phelps has done is astounding- but there arejust too many variables to make a categorical pronouncement, I think.

Humorously to me, the Russian gymnast he surpassed tonight is not yielding the floor- she considers herself 'best ever' counting the medals she has 'achieved' as a coach.

[dani0303]

It's almost impossible to call someone the "best ever" because comparing equestrian to swimming to running to shooting is comparing apples to oranges. No doubt he IS the best swimmer ever and one of the best athletes ever, but that's really hard to quantify.

[ponysize]

I think you can clearly call him the best Olympian ever, he has the hardware to prove it.

[BAC]

Humorously to me, the Russian gymnast he surpassed tonight is not yielding the floor- she considers herself 'best ever' counting the medals she has 'achieved' as a coach.

On NBC last night they said she was cheering him on to surpass her record.

At any rate, I think its impossible to declare anyone "the best ever" but 19 Olympic medals, 15 of which are gold, is certainly one of the best Olympic achievements for sure. And I don't think it matters what his times are and if his records eventually fall. You can only beat the ones who show up, just like in horse racing, what matters is who won, not by how much.

[goeslikestink]

when one can achieve it in another olympic game then yeah hes one of the better or greats - sportman of our time dont know a english swimmer with same success but think of steve redgrave our rower

5 gold medals at 5 different olympics plus a bronze from 1984 -2000


so hes one of the all time greats or better person sports person whatever you want to call him

in our era -- those that achieve it more than once are higher ranked

so i think any body that comes home with a medal for there country have proved themselves beyond there own expectations

and those that are older as your man is----- and still can come back and deliver
then thats no mean feat hes done his job and done it well

those that compete and get nothing have still won in my book as they now got olympic expreince and what to expect and not expect and they can learn by the things that either went wrong or whatever- its huge learning curve that only comes once every four years so they have won just by going not only that but some have swam or competed against the best in the world so thats another a achievement that in some cases might not come around again as the person they competed against might retire - or something else

so i firmly beleive they are all great - some better ranked than others but could i do it - nah so i am not of olympic merterial

as for your man difo sportman of the year and era and should be rewarded as such