Greatest Ever Olympian: Redgrave v Phelps

[Lord Camomile]

So, Michael Phelps has won his tenth gold medal (six in Athens 2004, four so far in Beijing) and the commentators are calling him the 'Greatest Ever Olympian' (as others have been saying 'if' he won this fourth medal).

Steve Redgrave only has the five medals, but they stretch over five different Olympic games (Los Angeles, 1984; Seoul, 1988; Barcelona, 1992; Atlanta, 1996; Sydney, 2000) spanning 16 years.

Who gets your vote?

 

[cesare]

Going to go with Redgrave here, though a tough choice between the two. I guess I still remember the Spitz prime, which Phelps hasn't beaten yet plus Redgrave has kind of carved an Olympian rowing path together with successfully managing a couple of nasty health disorders along the way.

 

[London_Calling]

Not sure I understand the basis of the comparison - Redgrave was always a team member, 4 others have done what he did (won Gold in five Olympic's), Phelp's is only half way through his third Olympic's, Phelps has more Gold medals than anyone else in history . . .

 

[1927]

So he can swim fast and has won a shed load of gold medals, but the Greatest Olympoian ever? Not so sure. Should the greatest Olympian be measured purely by number of Golds one, is that really the spirit of the Olympics?

The swimmers will always win more medals for basically doing one thing well, because there are so many bloody events.

Plus swimmers tend to be hot at one games and then 4years later someone else comes along, there isnt the same longevity.

Personally the best Olympina ever is probably that Russian fencing guy,or what about the French women cyclist in her 7th (?)games.

 

[ScallyWag II]

So he can swim fast and has won a shed load of gold medals, but the Greatest Olympoian ever? Not so sure. Should the greatest Olympian be measured purely by number of Golds one, is that really the spirit of the Olympics?

The swimmers will always win more medals for basically doing one thing well, because there are so many bloody events.

Plus swimmers tend to be hot at one games and then 4years later someone else comes along, there isnt the same longevity.

Personally the best Olympina ever is probably that Russian fencing guy,or what about the French women cyclist in her 7th (?)games.

Jeannie Longo Ciprelli. Would probably been her 8th games if woman's road racing was included in the olympic programme for the Moscow games!

Wasn't there a German woman who won her umpteenth gold in rowing at Athens? Can't remember the details but sure it was more than SR.

 

[CharlieAddict]

no contest - phelps.

 

[strung out]

Steve Redgrave only has the five medals, but they stretch over five different Olympic games (Los Angeles, 1984; Seoul, 1988; Barcelona, 1992; Atlanta, 1996; Sydney, 2000; Athens, 2004) spanning 16 years.

he didnt win one in Athens. still think redgrave edges it though, being at the top of your sport for so longs is a lot harder than being at the peak for 4 or so years

 

[Melinda]

Not sure I understand the basis of the comparison - Redgrave was always a team member, 4 others have done what he did (won Gold in five Olympic's), Phelp's is only half way through his third Olympic's, Phelps has more Gold medals than anyone else in history . . .

Phelps also swims in team races- the relays are/will be responsible for a chunk of his golds.

he didnt win one in Athens. still think redgrave edges it though, being at the top of your sport for so longs is a lot harder than being at the peak for 4 or so years

As its been said, swimmers are in a unique position of having lots of different styles to race in.

In this comparison Id also go with Redgrave in that his successes span over 20 years.

But Best Olympian Ever? There are other candidates.

 

[1927]

How about Aladar_Gerevich who won Gold medals twenty eight yrs apart. From 1932 to 1960 six gold medals and two games in between were cancelled!!

 

[CharlieAddict]

But Best Olympian Ever? There are other candidates.

michael johnson springs to mind.

 

[aylee]

I personally think that consistency of performance over successive Olympics is a better mark of a true great than sheer number of gold medals.

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Why only these two in the poll? Surely there's other options???

 

[Melinda]

michael johnson springs to mind.

Exactly.

Or Haile Gebrselassie.

Or Ed Moses. A quiet, understated modest man. I loved him as a kid. I remember crying to my mum when his winning streak came to an end.

 

[CharlieAddict]

Exactly.

Or Haile Gebrselassie.

Or Ed Moses. A quiet, understated modest man. I loved him as a kid. I remember crying to my mum when his winning streak came to an end.

ed moses - yeah i remember.

i also liked daley thompson - and how he offended everyone for not carrying the union jack. think he reflected the uk at that time.

 

[Melinda]

Daley was eviscerated for whistling the national anthem on the podium too!

 

[onemonkey]

paavo nurmi

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Exactly.

Or Haile Gebrselassie.

Shame he pulled out this year, but he obviously values his health above a medal

 

[belboid]

Other - either Aladár Gerevic or Birgit Fischer - who both won Golds in six Olympics

 

[belboid]

Ed Moses.

a brilliant bloke - anyone see the programme on Two the other night about the Ugandan hurdler? The only bloke (at the time) who could really compete with Moses, but who never really got the chance because of Amin and the boycotts of 76 & 80? John Akii-Bua, looked bloody brill in the film

 

[internetstalker]

Exactly.

Or Haile Gebrselassie.

Or Ed Moses. A quiet, understated modest man. I loved him as a kid. I remember crying to my mum when his winning streak came to an end.

if your gonna talk athletics it would HAVE to be Carl Lewis

 

[belboid]

Hassiba Boulmerka would be my favourite, tho not necessarily the 'best ever; I grant ya

 

[internetstalker]

but of the two for me, spanning 16 years is more of an acheivment then being the best through 2 olympics (although what phelps has done is a hurculean acheivment)

 

[Melinda]

if your gonna talk athletics it would HAVE to be Carl Lewis

I considered him, but there was/ is drugs stink on him.

 

[JTG]

Utterly pointless comparing competitors in two completely different sports.

 

[Melinda]

Utterly pointless comparing competitors in two completely different sports.

Starting point for a discussion though, no?

 

[belboid]

Utterly pointless comparing competitors in two completely different sports.

pointless - but fun! Maybe

 

[CharlieAddict]

I considered him, but there was/ is drugs stink on him.

nah - he said it was cos he was a vegan remember?

yeah, i reckon he just did better drugs than ben johnson...

 

[Lord Camomile]

The reason for using these two was commentators were using the term 'Greatest Ever Olympian' to refer to Phelps last night after the race last night, whereas before they'd been talking about Redgrave in those terms, and also I thought it an interesting discussion as to the relative merits of a large haul of golds v a smaller haul of golds over a greater number of games.

Certainly there are other contenders and I thought that if there was enough call for it this may serve as a nomination thread for a future poll, but I just thought this was an obvious comparison given the meeja's labelling of the two at different points.

Not sure I understand the basis of the comparison - Redgrave was always a team member, 4 others have done what he did (won Gold in five Olympic's), Phelp's is only half way through his third Olympic's, Phelps has more Gold medals than anyone else in history . . .

4 others have not done what Redgrave has done - he was part of different teams in the different Olympics and only Pinsent comes close having won golds in 4 games (it was 3 when Redgrave won his 5th)

he didnt win one in Athens.

Quite right, got a little carried away

 

[Melinda]

nah - he said it was cos he was a vegan remember?

yeah, i reckon he just did better drugs than ben johnson...

Yeah, I remember how 'I told you so' he was after the Johnson positive test. Even as a child I disliked Big Carl, couldnt tell you why other than he reeked of arrogance and had a strange face.

Respected his achievements but never really liked him much tbh.

 

[belboid]

4 others have not done what Redgrave has done - he was part of different teams in the different Olympics and only Pinsent comes close having won golds in 4 games (it was 3 when Redgrave won his 5th)

actually four others HAVE done what Redgrave did - although (probably) not the four that Elsie was referring to. And two of them won SIX golds in different Olympics.

1) Hungarian fencer Aladár Gerevich - 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960
2) German kayaker Birgit Fischer - 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004
3) British rower Steve Redgrave - 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000
4) Hungarian fencer Pál Kovács - 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960
5) German equestrian Reiner Klimke - 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1988