Michael Phelps: The Best Olympian Ever

Well, by now, you should have found out that Michael Phelps went 8-8 at the Beijing Olympics. Immediately after, the debate heated up on whether or not Phelps was the greatest Olympian in history. There's no doubt that he's the best swimmer to grace this world, but it seems like people are on either side of the spectrum. The main question seems to be whether or not the number of events you can swim in cheapens the number of medals that Michael Phelps has won.

There are significant points that should be considered. Of the top 20 male medal winners, only three have been swimmers. The vast majority come from gymnastics. He won using three different strokes and three different distances. Not only did Phelps win every event he was in, he, along with some teammates, broke seven of the eight event's world records. Think about that, most of the other athletes train extensively on their one or two events using ONE stroke.

Not only do I think he's the best Olympian in history. I don't think it's even close.