If Usain Bolt Wins the 200m As Convincingly as the 100m...

[Scrap]

At the end of the day, who would you sooner watch. If the truth is told its Bolt, why because He did something that inspires.

[Kev]

At the end of the day, who would you sooner watch. If the truth is told its Bolt, why because He did something that inspires.

I think that's really a matter of subjective opinion though. Winning 8 Olympic Golds out of 8 events is every bit as inspiring imo, although Bolt did smash two world records which Phelps didn't do.

Both acheivements are incredible imo.

If you mean that running is more inspiring than swimming though I don't really agree.

They are both demanding events, one to see who is the fastest on land, the other to see who is the fastest on water. One is not more inspiring than the other except in a subjective way depending on your own preference.

If anything I think Phelps is a victim of his own success. He has become so utterly dominant that people don't regard his truimph as a big deal, but really to defeat the best in the world in 8 seperate events in one Olympic games is pretty damn inspiring stuff.

Phelps is even more dominant in his sport than Bolt is in his, at least for now.

[BIG H]

At the end of the day, who would you sooner watch. If the truth is told its Bolt, why because He did something that inspires.

Phelps is even more dominant in his sport than Bolt is in his,

Nobody got within 1 hundreth of a second of Bolt

[Scrap]

Where ever you live rich or poor you can run its an International and Interational, Swimming isnt.

[Kev]

Where ever you live rich or poor you can run its an International and Interational, Swimming isnt.

Considering the earth is 75% water I don't really understand that statement.

Sure there arn't swimming pools and proper training coaches everywhere, but are there running tracks and proper coaches everywhere either?

It's actually more a genetic thing imo, blacks due to a higher percentage muscle than whites and more fast twitch fibres in their legs make better sprinters than whites, who with slightly higher bodyfat ratios and different body composition make for better swimmers.

I'm sure socialogical factors play a role but race and genetics are the biggest determining factors imo, although in todays politically correct world you arn't supposed to say so.

[Kev]

At the end of the day, who would you sooner watch. If the truth is told its Bolt, why because He did something that inspires.

Phelps is even more dominant in his sport than Bolt is in his,

Nobody got within 1 hundreth of a second of Bolt

That was Phelp's worst result though

Nobody else came with 1 hundreth of a second of Phelps in the other 7

[X]

[quote=Bilbo;584731
I think that's really a matter of subjective opinion though. Winning 8 Olympic Golds out of 8 events is every bit as inspiring imo, although Bolt did smash two world records which Phelps didn't do.

Both acheivements are incredible imo.

[/quote]

I think Phelps actually broke 8 world records during the Olympics !

[amat]

It was 7 world records Phelps had I believe but I don't know whether to take those with a grain of salt or not because ever since this LRZ racer suit came out like 100 world records have fallen in the pool. And not a single one of those records was as meaningful as the 100m and as untouchable as the 200m.

[RP33]

i say bolt doesn't even come close to phelps.. he is simply 2/8's of phelps accomplishments..

amat, you have summed up how sprinting is more than just running in a straight line, but you may be forgetting how tiring and straining swimming is.. i'd consider myself in pretty good shape, prob 7-8% body fat, and i run just about every day, and when i go to my campus's pool.. if i do one lap at almost full speed i am breathing real heavy.. Swimming is much more physically demanding than running, simply because it involves the whole body, and also water is far more resistant than air.. FAR more..

when you compare bolt to the other runners and saying that he was so far ahead of them and such, phelps was the same way.. regardless of genetics.

to diminish anything phelps has done, because a sprinter won the 100m and 200m convincingly is silly.. At the same time, i cannot praise bolt anymore for his feat, but he would have to win 4-5 more races individually, and then run in some relay races to come close to phelps..

[CutMeMick]

[quote=X;585183]

I think Phelps actually broke 8 world records during the Olympics !

You beat me to it I just checked and in all 8 events he participated in new records were set.

[RP33]

[quote=CutMeMick;585189]

I think Phelps actually broke 8 world records during the Olympics !

You beat me to it I just checked and in all 8 events he participated in new records were set.

i believe 7 of 8 were world records.. his 7th of 8 race may have only been an olympic record..

[CutMeMick]

I think 1 thing we can all agree on here is that swimming if by far the best type of excersize that you can do that we know. I'm sure amat knows that too. I think amat was trying to state his case as to why he feels running is also a tough excersize to do...

[Kev]

[quote=X;585183]

I think Phelps actually broke 8 world records during the Olympics !

Wow didn't realise, then there really is no contest, Phelps is the man of the Olympics in my opinion.

I don't know anything about the suit that Amat talks about but I really don't see how anyone can discredit Phelp's achievements based on the trunks used any more than you can discredit Bolt because of the trainers he wore?

And what about sports like cycling, sailing, rowing etc, doesn't the equipment they use get improved over time?

Improvements are sought in every field I'm sure, training, nutrition, equipment, clothing, these wll be constantly improved in every single discipline so I'm sure the suit makes no difference.

It's not like he had flippers on and a fin on his back

[amat]

I'm not diminishing what Phelps did at all. It was 7 world records btw. I'm not saying swimming isn't difficult or anything like that, all I'm saying is that Bolt's triumphs have been more eye opening then Phelps 8 golds. Granted, 8 golds is something that will never be accomplished or topped for a long time if ever. But how many other sports can you compete in and get 8 medals? 0. It's swimming and that's it so to use the numerical argument is a bit silly imo.

Every record Phelps broke had been broken in the past year. The 200m was a record most thought would stand our entire lives, that no human being would ever be able to top that. Bolt did and he made one of the most hallowed records in sports, the 100m time an absolute wash. I made this post after that. I wasn't even sure he could get the 200m record, knew he was capable but the glow around that record is really tough to beat and he did it.

I'm not simplifying Phelps' effort as just going down to his suit, but the suit does have a lot to do with the world records. It is a revolutionary suit that creates 0 friction in the water. Swimmers not using the suit were at such a disadvantage in the qualifiers and trials that before the Olympics Nike allowed all it's swimmers to not sport Nike in the Olympics but instead Speedo. Now obviously it's a level playing field since nearly every swimmer was using it and Phelps still won, but the suit has a lot to do with the world records that fell. I forget the exact number but almost every single gold medalist in the swimming events this year got the world record as well.

I'm not diminishing either, in fact the argument is fairly trivial because one is on land and one is on water. But at the very least they have to be acknowledged as equally dominant and to say Bolt has only accomplished 2/8 of what Phelps did is pretty absurd. Michael Johnson is every bit the Olympics legend as Mark Spitz and both guys got pretty much surpassed in Beijing though Spitz won the 100 freestyle which apparently is supposed to determine the world's fastest swimmer and Johnson still has the 400 record.

Scott Ostler wrote a very good article in the SF Chronicle today about the Phelps vs Bolt argument. I really recommend reading it.

Phelps now has company as the Games' poster guy

[amat]

Also, Bolt has the 2 most dominant performances of these games under his belt in 2 of the top 5 marquee events. That has to account for something