Michael Phelps ranked the best athlete of the 21st Century by ESPN
- Thread starter Jplaya2023
- Start date
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
all these lists do that.
It's the equivalent of putting 36 Chambers at #29 but The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill at #1 for best rap album
RennisDeynolds
I am untethered and my rage knows no bounds!
Preach. Most decorated Olympian, he was killing every different event
RennisDeynolds
I am untethered and my rage knows no bounds!
. Novax ChokeAbytch is a clown
Diddly Drogba
Superstar
I should be on the list
Tiger >> Phelps
People seem to forget how dominant Eldrick was on the course. Is off course behaviour has helped shape this
People seem to forget how dominant Eldrick was on the course. Is off course behaviour has helped shape this
what do you base that on?
Phelps has 29 Individual world records to Dressels 7
Phelps has 23 Olymipic gold medals to Dressels 7
mastermind
Rest In Power Kobe
Why do we care about this?
Nobody beating tiger early 99-08 run
No athlete is close to that level of dominance
No athlete is close to that level of dominance
Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever by a huge margin, had the best Olympic year ever and arguably the 2nd-best Olympic year ever too, won a gold medal at just 15 and was still winning gold medals at 31, and set 39 world records covering 5 different individual events and 3 different relays.
"If" you consider swimming to be a legitimate sport to be considered the best athlete of the 21st century, then Phelps has a very good case. The main knock against him is that swimming is a partial-niche sport, where not everyone has a real shot to compete because only a small % of people get the chance to swim well from a young age.
On the other hand, you could argue that almost every sport is kind of a niche sport other than soccer and track and field (NFL is almost entirely Americans, dominant NBA players are almost entirely the 0.1% of the population over 6'5", tennis is almost only rich kids, gymnastics is short people with tiger moms, etc.). And even in track and field, there are a pretty limited # of countries you can be from and have any chance of being the best.
This is false. There is a swimming season every year and a major international swimming championship (either the Olympics, the World Championships, or the Pan-Pacific Championships) every single year. From 2001 to 2009, Phelps set a new world record every single year except 2005. He won American Swimmer of the Year 11 times (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016) and International Swimmer of the Year 8 times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016). No other male swimmer has ever won more than 4 times, and only one woman has won more than 3. He's won 54 international medals including 43 gold medals OUTSIDE of the Olympics. The fact that you only watch swimming in Olympic years doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
"If" you consider swimming to be a legitimate sport to be considered the best athlete of the 21st century, then Phelps has a very good case. The main knock against him is that swimming is a partial-niche sport, where not everyone has a real shot to compete because only a small % of people get the chance to swim well from a young age.
On the other hand, you could argue that almost every sport is kind of a niche sport other than soccer and track and field (NFL is almost entirely Americans, dominant NBA players are almost entirely the 0.1% of the population over 6'5", tennis is almost only rich kids, gymnastics is short people with tiger moms, etc.). And even in track and field, there are a pretty limited # of countries you can be from and have any chance of being the best.
This is false. There is a swimming season every year and a major international swimming championship (either the Olympics, the World Championships, or the Pan-Pacific Championships) every single year. From 2001 to 2009, Phelps set a new world record every single year except 2005. He won American Swimmer of the Year 11 times (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016) and International Swimmer of the Year 8 times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016). No other male swimmer has ever won more than 4 times, and only one woman has won more than 3. He's won 54 international medals including 43 gold medals OUTSIDE of the Olympics. The fact that you only watch swimming in Olympic years doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
That's some Cac shyt it should be Kobe or Lebron
