To me is Dhyan Chand, although he has only three golds, that is because he perticipated in a team game, and he did not have scope to win more than that. However looking at his achievements, no one can be compared to him. He is the greatest sportsperson ever, unfortunately he does not have much takers in this ungrateful country.
RE:The Greatest Olympian
by Hiten on Aug 14, 2008 06:03 PM Permalink
Mr. Baxi please catch a time machine Taxi and keep on living in past.....Dyanchand....Have u seen him play.....If yes I think u r pretty old to be updated with computers.....To vote someone for olympics is a big joke and on top of it DYANCHAND is......totaly senseless
RE:The Greatest Olympian
by Vadali VenkataRamaKishore on Aug 14, 2008 10:47 PM Permalink
Mr Baxi is entitled to his opinion, like you - Mr Hiten - are your entitled to yours. The reason given by you for betillting Dhyan Chand's greatness is that he doesn't belong to the current era. I haven't heard or read a more irrational comment than yours, Mr. Hiten. Be sensitive to the sensibilities of others. The greatness of Dhyan Chand can be gauged from the fact that Dhyan Chand's hockey stick was investigated for its 'magnetic' properties. Mr. Hiten, please be graceful to respect the sensibility of others, and only then can you expect others to expect others to respect your sensibility. As far as Iam concened, I am not old, but I have utter contempt for people like you, who think it is intelligent to belittle truly great people. One final thought, knowing computers - or rather knowing how to work with computers as you might have meant - is not intelligence. Good Bye.
RE:Carl Lewis is greatest ever
by Kaushik Basu on Aug 14, 2008 11:27 AM Permalink
I agree...also without taking anything away frm Phelps and his greatness...I blv had Thorpe not retired...he wud hv been the best swimmer of this era...
RE:Carl Lewis is greatest ever
by Guest on Aug 14, 2008 03:34 PM Permalink
Free style, breast storke and the relay... and dont forget the medley.. they are all very different and involves different parts of body to get the proper actions... its very much toucher than what carl lewis did.. so this point of stand is weak.. better avoid this point in a standoff on this topic..
RE:Carl Lewis is greatest ever
by READ on Aug 14, 2008 03:38 PM Permalink
I THINK TROPE HAD A DRUG INVETIGATION AGAINST HIM GOING ON .....THAT THE TIME THE AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TOLD HIM TO RETIRE ....
THERE WAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT THIS IN A PARIS NEWSPAPER ..AND THE FINDINGS BY THE WORL SWIMMING BODY....FINA
RE:Carl Lewis is greatest ever
by Kaushik Basu on Aug 14, 2008 04:53 PM Permalink
I think the main prblm with thorpedo was "too much too early"...he njoyed a cult status wen he was barely 20...anyways the main reason he showed for his retirement was lact of motivation...i guess he is getting some now watching phelps in action :)
best swimmer ? may b . but where is ian thorpe of ausi. and there may b many others even in swimming events. one more thing to add. swimming is the peculiar sport in olympics which gives maximum no. of golds compared with other sports. so a country can b on top of the medal talley even if they dont participate in any sports except swimming. bcoz swimming gets maximum share of gold medals.
RE:best olympian ? no.
by READ on Aug 14, 2008 03:47 PM Permalink
THINK TROPE HAD A DRUG INVETIGATION AGAINST HIM GOING ON .....THAT THE TIME THE AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TOLD HIM TO RETIRE ....
THERE WAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT THIS IN A PARIS NEWSPAPER ..AND THE FINDINGS BY THE WORL SWIMMING BODY....FINA
I dont understand y people have to give 2 pies in everything. What rights do we have to comment on an olympian. Do we understand sports!!!Stop this democracy and voting process....Bloody we can not do anything other than this...
RE:Who are we to vote the greatest olympian
by Vivek Chauhan on Aug 14, 2008 11:16 AM Permalink
Absolutely right, mate! What's the point in voting if you don't know a thing about the sports
RE:Who are we to vote the greatest olympian
by Hiten on Aug 14, 2008 05:58 PM Permalink
Still there are lot of so called sports experts who are voting from Dyanchand to Abhinav inspite of no knowledge about sports and its greatness
Not at all,it is easy to get more medals in swimming than in track and field events. In swimming there are 50 mtr, 100 mtr events and if you had 50 mtrs, 150 mts, 250 mtrs and 300 mtrs races Carl Lewis would have won more golds in track and field. Decathlon and marathon golds and winning 5000 mtrs and 10000 mtrs in a single olympics and then repeating it in the next olympics,or winning marathon in consecutive olympics is much more gruelling than swimming golds. When one floats in water there is boyency which helps swimmers a lot. American athlete Al Oerter won gold in discus throw in 4 consecutive olympics which is quite unbelievable. Abebe Bikila the great Etheopian won consecutive gold in marathon in 1960 and 64 olympics without any coach or a team of phychologists physios or dietetians and the like. Valdimer Cirpisky of Germany also won 2 consecutive gold in marathon. Miritus Yifter another great Etheopian who for the first time saw a stadium and athletes practicing running,at the age of 26, in the year 1966,went on to win gold in 5000 mtrs and 10000 mtrs in Moscow 1980,what happened in between were many tragedies. In Munich he missed 10000 mtrs(he won silver in 5000 mtrs) because he did't understand English when his call came through the loud speaker. In 1976 African countries boycotted Montreal olympics when NZ rugby team visited S.Africa. So came next Moscow 1980 and won double golds in 5000 and 10000 mtrs running.
RE:Is Phelps the greatest olympian?
by maheedhar basix on Aug 14, 2008 11:58 AM Permalink
Good Analysis. But it same for all. his Competitor also has swim 50 or 100 meters. I pity America because out 10 gold 5 won by Phelps. What is great with America?
RE:Is Phelps the greatest olympian?
by Manj u on Aug 14, 2008 11:22 AM Permalink
Agree. A good analtsis. Agree that Phelps is blessing for the game but he can not be rated the greatest. You have analysed it well. Even he can not be compared to Spitz 'cos when he created that record he did not have the swim suits which reduce the water resistance, he did not have the ultra modern facilities to train and whatever technological advances that are enjoyed by the ilk of phelps. So even in swimming Mark Spitz is better or is equal on terms with phelps. The count of gold medals does not make the greatest athlete. It shows that you are the best among the participating lot. Nothing more. If world records can be created with all the help of technology than it can be broken also.
RE:Is Phelps the greatest olympian?
by vinay on Aug 15, 2008 01:00 AM Permalink
manju good point. 'gold medals does not make the greatest athlete. It shows that you are the best among the participating lot. Nothing more' perfect analysis. a player may have scored higher ranks but he may hv performed below his/her best but in the event, he is compared to performances of others.
RE:Is Phelps the greatest olympian?
by devdass on Aug 14, 2008 12:21 PM Permalink
This kind of analysis makes one sick.This how it had been throughout. And he is the only man to do it. CONSISTENCY IS SOMETHING REMARKABLE. One error in one race and you become another MORTAL! Give credit when it is due!
There is some truly remarkable idiocy on display in this forum. Such a phenomenal lack of knowledge, and those who have the knowledge have an appalling dearth of understanding.
It is little wonder that we in India are so thoroughly terrible at Olympic Sport. The reason is clearly on display in most of the comments on this board!!
RE:Is Phelps the greatest olympian?
by vinay on Aug 14, 2008 12:26 AM Permalink
agreed 100%. swimming has the maximum events for getting the gold. just compare the swimming events with other sports events.
RE:success
by Nayak on Aug 13, 2008 07:37 PM Permalink
well, i think, it is possible in India too if women stop gossiping and take equal responsibility rather than just waiting men to do things and leading role. Pelps is something today because of his mother, not father. she gave him what he had and supported being a single mother. In India, women find men as their shield for their future which in fact makes men rule the society. I think it time for Indian women to think of leading, not just want to stay home and find men from rich and famous family.
The majority of Indian women indulge so much in bragging their own family, teach the kids their own mentality, ie sense of fear and love everyone but their in-laws.
RE:success
by pracks hat on Aug 14, 2008 10:45 AM Permalink
thats an absolutely chauvinist reply... Men are bigger gossipers and enjoy telling women what to do rather than doing it themselves... It is a shame to see that people still talk this way about women in this 21st century..This country is literally being run by a women... so i guess it time men woke up from their speech dream sequences and did something themselves for the family and society rather than pointing out dirty fingers at women. wake up man.
RE:success
by Aman on Aug 16, 2008 09:20 AM Permalink
thats why the condition is like this..see the inflation..terrorism..kashmir..etc.. only because tghe president and PM(ignore MMS)..are Women.. earlier..it was emergency during the women as PM(indra)
Best swimmer of his era ! Yes! The greatest Olympian ever ? Certainly not! Phelps can never be called the greatest ! He is a superb athlete no doubt !A great swimmer of his times!! All sports have different criteria and you can never compare sportmen from different disciplines! The title of the Greatest Olympian is in my opinion something which only the track and field athletes can aspire for!!!! Phelps doesnt even deserve to hold a candle to the likes of Jessie Owens,Carl Lewis Pavo Nurmi etc!A medal in the track and field events is worth 3 in the swimming pool!
RE:Certainly not the greatest olympian!!
by Mahesh Nathan on Aug 13, 2008 07:57 PM Permalink
That's a stupid argument. Winning medals in track and field events is definitely a great feat, but it does not in any way diminish the feat of winning golds in other events like swimming and gymnastics. The debate of the greatest Olympian will still be there simply because its always a relative judgment. Its a great feat to win so many medals in multiple events in a single discipline. Ridiculous to make that 3-1 comparison - very much 1-1.
RE:Certainly not the greatest olympian!!
by Ashutosh Thatte on Aug 13, 2008 07:48 PM Permalink
very well said ! Its not only the number of medals... but the "impact" that the athelete has with his / her performance. I believe Jessie Owens should be right up there !
RE:Certainly not the greatest olympian!!
by vikranbir nagra on Aug 13, 2008 06:13 PM Permalink
this makes no sense.. if winning medals in swimming was so simple we would have had the historic 'maximum medals' figure from swimmers only.. which is not true..
