I saw this on Jim Rome today. A reporter asked Bolt how he felt about the comparisons to Michael Phelps and his response was classic. Bolt said, "I don't really compare myself to Michael Phillips. He's just a swimmer, I'm an athlete."
Ouch!
Which bodes the next question... Who was the Olympics biggest star, Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt?
You know what? I'm going Bolt. Not that what Phelps did isn't spectacular and will never be surpassed but it's really hard to even fathom that Usain Bolt obliterated the World Record in the 100m AND he started show boating with 20m to go! Then... he goes out and, in the context of Olympic times, crushes the 200m time that was supposedly unbreakable. His coach says that he'll be even better in the 400m! In addition to all that he has only just begun to learn how to run having only done it for a year. Scary.
And finally, he is now indisputably the "Fastest Man in the History of the Planet." That's the coolest title in sports.
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4 comments:
Eagle comments:
Couldn’t disagree more. Bolt runs the Hundred Yard Dash (which sounds better than Hundred Meters) and 200 meters very fast. That’s it. He doesn’t also hurdle, marathon or speed walk. Phelps swims – breathing heavily under water – have you tried doing the butterfly or breaststroke or backstroke without stopping to heave your guts after one length of the pool.
And as a television event it’s not even close – Phelps made these games. He was these games.
I know. I was being glib and trying to make a case for someone else as if Phelps wasn't there. It's like asking who the best golfer on the PGA tour is, after the stupid look everyone gives you not much to talk about. Ask who the best golfer is after you take Tiger out of the equation and now we have a discussion.
You said it best, "Michael Phelps was these Games". What he did will never be forgotten and it will never be surpassed. It's hard to remember 9 seconds vs 17 races in 7 days or whatever. The TV event snowballed as each race went on, which obviously is good... hard to build for 9 seconds.
Michael Phelps aside, that 100m run will only be broken by Bolt himself over the next 20+ years. I don't think you can overstate what Bolt did though. The entire track game is now changed.
Bolt didn't even match Carl Lewis. Lewis had WRs in 100 and 200 and won the long jump and ran on two gold medal relays.
They are smoking something funny in Jamaca mon.
More on Bolt as reported by ESPN...
Apparently Bolt's coach says in the 100m race he showboated in and still managed to clock a 9.69 would have been a 9.52 had he ran through the line. Not only that he says that Bolt is still 2 years away from peaking so even that ridiculous number will should be blown away.
Say he gets a 9.49. I'll bet anything we're all dead before that gets beaten. Isn't that like 35 mph?! Sick.
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