What makes a great olympian?
By ajk111
@ajk111 (2495)
July 31, 2012 5:25pm CST
Michael Phelps has set a new world record for Olympic medals. 19 medals, a truely remarkable achievement.
For me this does not make him the best olympian of all time. Michael Phelps trained for years on one particular area of sport which was swimming. In my eyes Carl Lewis is the greatest sportsman of all time. 9 gold medals ranging from 1984 - 1992 covering 100m, 200m and the long jump. He won gold for the long jump 84, 88, and 92. astonishing!
my respect for him is that sprinting for the 100m and 200m are two different training regimes and the long jump is completely different so to win is remarkable.
other athletes train for years for one event and maybe achieve one major medal, Lewis blitzed the everything!
Who do you think would qualify for all time athelete? Is Phelps better than Ali?
We should think that this is a relevent discussion as athletes have an enormous impact on our youth. So who do you want to influence your child?
2 people like this
8 responses
@natliegleb (5173)
• India
1 Aug 12
i would definitely say that is yet another feather in his cap.for me he is truly the olympian of the decade and no one else on this planet could come close to what he has done or for that matter try to surpass ,phelps gamestyle is entirely different and impossible to predict too ,so i love him and he truly inspires young people to achieve more.he has a hunger to go on,that is what matters the most of the sporting spirits.he is truly a great olympian for years to come
@adforme (2114)
•
1 Aug 12
I think that there is a way to determine this based on quality and quantity. I find the participants in decathalons to be in the running for such a feat. They have a variety of sports to participate in that test strength, endurance, speed, and agility. If I were in the Olympics I would challenge myself this way. I am somewhat athletic, he he he. To be able to have a sport that would test my potential in many ways is a true test of overall athleticism. Someone in particular that pops up in my mind is Jackie Joyner Kersee.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
1 Aug 12
Just had to add my two cents worth here...as we Canadians are very, very proud of "Clara Hughes" whom has been a "medallist" in both Summer and Winter Olympics (if I remember correctly--5 medals) won in both disciplines ! Competing and training at a very high level, as she is in Olympic trials every TWO years..not every 4. She is ONE of very few Olympians that compete in both Summer and Winter events!
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
2 Aug 12
I truly do hope you take a moment to look at her profile! At 39, she just announced retirement yesterday! I think, not sure, but in the history of the Olympics, she is one of 5 or 6 Olympians in both Winter and Summer disciplines.
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
12 Aug 12
I think the greatest Olympians are those who continue to work for their sports long after their medal-winning days are over. For that reason, I'd count Sir Steve Redgrave as one of the greatest of all time. Yes, he won 5 rowing golds, but he's still heavily involved in the sport, spotting and nurturing new talent. He's also a really nice guy, who's had to cope with illness while making his countrymen proud of him. He's an inspiration to everyone, in all sports, because his enthusiasm shines through.
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
7 Aug 12
I actually think that if you are a good enough athlete to earn the privilege of competing in the Olympics, even if you do not earn a medal, then you should be extremely proud and be considered a great athlete. Having said that, I actually admire the athletes that have to overcome obstacles to be able to compete, especially if they are able to win medals and break records, more than the ones that do not have any impediments. Two people that instantly spring to mind when I think about this are Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who had exercise-induced asthma, and Florence Griffith-Joyner, who had epilepsy.
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
10 Aug 12
That is what I think as well. Not everybody with these illnesses will be able to achieve what these people have achieved (most people without any illnesses cannot achieve these feats), but they should be an inspiration not only to people with these sorts of illnesses but also an example to everybody that just because we have problems does not mean that we need to accept that we are necessarily limited by them ... the only way to find out what greatness we have inside us is to try and keep on trying if we really want to achieve something.
@sagayamary (79)
• India
1 Aug 12
Michael proved himself by 19 medals. its a great achievement of him.
A very remarkable achievement. great.
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
5 Aug 12
It's every sportmen/women dreams of competing in the olympic but not many.can excel in this world class sporting events. Those great sportsmen who.have proven their merits by begging golds for their countries have.become legends in their respective countries as they have done theit country proud by their.achievements. As of now my country sportsmen have not earned any.medals yet even though our government has promised huge financial incentives for any medals earned. The stiff competitive edge in the olympics has created a battle ground for the olympians to prove their greatness.
@paulli3 (312)
• China
1 Aug 12
phelps is a great olympian but i don't want to let him influence my child, yeah maybe he is a great athlete and get a lot of medals but when he won these honor, he become pride and don't hard work for a long time. he practised very hard before 2008 and he win 8 medals in beijing. But he can't insisit to work hard when he get great honor, i think kobe is good enough and i want to let him influence my child
