| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/17/2008 3:28:29 PM | MSG 47
Does a paralympian count here?
MSG 50
Obviously, I'm only speaking for myself regarding whether a paralympian does 'count' or not.
Of course it does.
No it does not.
The clue is in the title.
Anybody can enter the Olympics but Not everybody can enter the Paralympics. | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/17/2008 4:10:24 PM | Para Olympics [The word] derives from the Greek preposition “para” (“beside” or “alongside”) and the word “Olympics”(the Paralympics being the parallel Games to the Olympics.) is one of the most popular tournaments of the world, involving people with physical disabilities. Since the Salt Lake 2002 Games, one organising committee is responsible for hosting both the Olympic and the Paralympic summer and winter Games. Athletes from all the Games live in the same Village and enjoy the same catering services, medical care and facilities. Ticketing, technology and transport systems for the Olympic Games are seamlessly extended to the Paralympics.
I guess for some, swimming in the paralympics, even if you win you are still a retard. | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/17/2008 5:17:53 PM | Phelps's achievement was hardly a walk in the park, but the circumstances under which he swam were quite comfortable. Everyone in the World (except possibly his very closest rivals, of which there are few) took much joy from him these past eight days. Everyone likes to see amazing feats and limits pushed. Everyone cheered him on, was on his side.
Compare that to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where the black Jesse Owens won no fewer than four gold medals in a single day, setting three world records (I think those are facts). He faced harsh inequality, rascism and hatred - and that was in his own country. This is a quote from wikipedia:
"After a New York ticker-tape parade in his honor, Owens had to ride the freight elevator to attend his own reception at the Waldorf-Astoria"
This was before one considers the Nazi regime in front of which he competed.
Thankfully Phelps will never see such 'climates' as closely as Owens. Had he done so, buckling under the pressure would have been natural. Greats don't just transcend sporting issues, they smash REAL issues.
I hope that kind of makes sense :o) | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/18/2008 2:41:46 AM | The greatest Olympian is subjective and personal and that is why it brings up so many different views and I have enjoyed being reminded of some of the great sporting achievements and obstacles the past atheletes have had to endure and overcome.
Stories and achievements are what make the olympics what they are, and have made me tune in this year even though I haven't wanted to because of personal views over the politics of China.
Now my views on what peoples suggestions.
Ali - Not a great Olympian - though if we are talking greatest sports person has to be in with a shout alongside people like Lance Armstrong.
Daley T - Great achievement over multiple Olympics in a variety events, though for me decatheletes and heptatheletes are good all rounders with great endurance but not exceptional at one sport and there fore can't be considered great, but rather great achievements.
Jesse owens - with what he had to go through and the problems he faced and winning multiple golds and world records in seperate events, he has my vote.
Steve Redgrave - exceptional performance over a long, long period at the height and pinnacle of his sport and is an icon of Brittish sport. Being a team event it is hard to measure his performance. This is where I also dismiss a lot of atheletes no matter of success as to be the greatest you have to be competing against the biggest majority. How many people have ever rowed? this is why I discount many minority sports.
Carl Lewis is probably the modern great winning nine golds at four olypics at a few different events. Sprinting and long jump. The pinnacle of human achievement.
Paavo Nurmi is someone I heard about on tv when discussions where taking place to ask is Phelps the greatest and Nurmi who won nine gold medals in middle- and long-distance running in the 1920s. While much has been made of the 17 times Phelps had to swim in these games, he never did anything like Nurmi did when he won both the 1500 meters and 5000 meters within two hours of each other in 1924.
Bie 2000 mentions along distance runner that ran in the 3 long distance races in a week and won them all, 1 being the marathon. Another great achievement.
Now Michael Phelps - Swimming records where dropping all over the place, possibly due to the LZR suits so is hard to measure his success to past olympians and I believe you have to do it over a couple of olympics at least to be considered great. The sheer ammount of opportunity that you have to win gold devalues his triumph, but if he goes on and does it again in London I would be happy to recognise him as great.
I think that the paralympics and the olympics are two seperate games and success can't be measured against each other as the ammount of disability can effect the level and chances of success. One area where that is discounted is in wheelchair events so tanni Grey can be compared to others in her sport and she was exceptional and for me will be remembered not for her achievements but her grit and Brittish spirit and eternal grin. | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/18/2008 3:23:45 PM | Para Olympics [The word] derives from the Greek preposition “para” (“beside” or “alongside”) and the word “Olympics”(the Paralympics being the parallel Games to the Olympics.) is one of the most popular tournaments of the world, involving people with physical disabilities.
Good God! Do you actually think that nobody knows what paralympics means and who can enter?
I guess for some, swimming in the paralympics, even if you win you are still a retard.
Even though this sentence does not make sense, who is calling people retards?
Paralympics is for people who have a disability. And if they win then that makes them a paralympic champion. Not a retard.
I think that the paralympics and the olympics are two seperate games and success can't be measured against each other as the ammount of disability can effect the level and chances of success.
Bravo. You are correct. | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/20/2008 2:25:50 PM | Bravo to me too.
In my tiny/big world.
The 'greatest Olympian?' for me will always be anyone who gets there in the first place
and then gets to win a medal.
Or just gets to represent their 'country' in their chosen event.
With or without Fierce bits. Of fish.
Semantics are just
Words.
Paralympics or nae. | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/22/2008 4:13:42 AM |
Bravo to me too.
Nope. On MSG 50 you wrote
Obviously, I'm only speaking for myself regarding whether a paralympian does 'count' or not.
Of course it does.
Helloooooo..
The 'greatest Olympian?' for me will always be anyone who gets there in the first place
and then gets to win a medal.
Or just gets to represent their 'country' in their chosen event.
With or without Fierce bits. Of fish.
Semantics are just
Words.
Paralympics or nae.
Tut.  | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/25/2008 8:36:05 AM | For sheer bloody-mindedness and determination - Eddie Edwards.
That's the true spirit of the Olympics, just being there, doing your best, even when you know you haven't a cat in hell's chance of being in the running for a medal.
How very British 
For sustained achievement - Sir Steve. Rowing is apparently a young man's sport, but he showed a lot of people that that is not neccessarily so. | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/25/2008 9:52:25 AM | GOSH ONE CHAP CAN JUMP 2" FURTHER THAN THE NEXTBLOKE IN THE LONG JUMP...... | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/25/2008 1:38:08 PM | gotta back M4rtyn on this one.... Jesse Owens on his own, did in a day, what it took the military might of half the world years to do. He made that jumped up fascist clown and his psychotic racist theories look like the stupid puny cretin he was. In his own stadium, in front of his own followers too. Priceless!!!
Probably the greatest sporting achievement of all time, olympics or not.
Shame his own country treated him like a dog really..... They should have a statue of him in every city. Great man, a giant mistreated by maggotts!!! | |
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| The greatest Olympian?
Posted: 8/25/2008 3:53:36 PM |
Jesse Owens on his own, did in a day, what it took the military might of half the world years to do. He made that jumped up fascist clown and his psychotic racist theories look like the stupid puny cretin he was. In his own stadium, in front of his own followers too. Priceless!!!
I have read that he broke all those records because he was being chased by the NAZIS. . | |
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