Swimming isn't so bad. I'd say after Track/Field and Gymnastics, has always been swimming. Now if you wanna talk about sports no one cares about, let's talk about cycling (the race on that oval wood floor), badminton, horse back riding, and women's olympic basketball.

I really don't care too much about any Olympic event. I sometimes enjoy gymnastics because I find it really impressive, and I have to show a bit of an interest at least in Olympic hockey as part of my Canadian duty, but that's it.

he's good, but the best ever??

He's lucky he's in a sport that has so many diciplines you can win gold medals in, and even then he's not the fastest at say the 100 meters (by many considered the main event, just as with atlethics).. He's a very good allrounder, I'll give him that..

While we're at it.. I think many events on the Olympics could be cut, there's over 300 gold medals already, way to much imho.. We should go back to the bare basics of sport.. Who's the fatest with running and in the water etc, who can jump the highest or furtest, or throw a javalin the furtest.. Bassicly who is the best humanbeing on the planet in a true clear sport.. Cut all the bullshit diciplines, weightclasses, and bullsh*t sports..

For example, swimming should only be freestyle (you figure out how to go the fastest), that means cut the bullshit butterfly and backstroke diciplines etc.. Events should be 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m in a pool, and 10k and 25k in open water.. That's 8 medals max to be won with swimming, no more.. That also means people like Phelps will most like not win more then 1 or 2 medals in that case.. Look at boxing for example, at the end we will have 13!! Olympic Boxing champions.. I mean, lol!!! One for under 60kg, one for under 64kg, one for under 70kg, and so on and so on, what kind of bullsh*t is that?? Just 1 boxing event, free to enter for anyone, and that's it.. You to small or light? Though luck.. What's next? Basketball for people under 1.75m??

All these different diciplines to give more people chances on winning a Olympic title belong on the paralympics imho.. Beachvolleyball? Played by people who are not good enough to make the regular volleyball teams.. Cannot win the 800m running? Just put up some fences and water and call it Steaplechase.. wtf is that?? It's bullsh*t..

All the jurysports should be cut aswell.. I only want real sports where it's clear for everybody who is the best, not sports where a few so-called specialist give scores and cannot even agree among themselfs who is the best.. Cut the bullshit..

My country won a 3rd gold in a row with a woman who can let horses walk pretty on music.. I mean, LOL!!! That's not a sport..

Biggest joke of all though is the walking event.. That looks like something for retards that should be moved to the paraclimics right away.. Why the f*ck would you walk when you can run???

Again, way to many bullsh*t events and therefor medals.. It could all be cut to less then 50 medals in total..

But anyway, congrats to Phelps for winning 8.. ;)

I definitely get what you're trying to say, but at the same time I don't.

I greatly disagree on cutting out things like butterfly, backstroke etc.

A person who is the best at freestyle, but can't perform the butterfly or backstroke, breaststroke worth a crap doesn't deserve to be called the greatest swimmer in the world. Phelps showcased that he could dominate and win gold in all the necessary disciplines that make a swimmer an accomplished swimmer.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the events he won gold in. What Phelps accomplished wouldn't even be remotely impressive if it was the way that you are suggesting it be done. Phelps was known to not have the best breaststroke, but like a true champion, he practiced his behind off to get better at it and showcased very noticeable improvements and without having become better at one of his worst disciplines in swimming, it would've seemed like he got bailed out.

Phelps was really put to the test and passed with flying colors.

My point is true heroic Olympic sport should be about the fastest and strongest humanbeings on our planet.. In swimming the fastest way to get from A to B should always be freestyle.. All the other diciplines are just there for people that are not the fastest swimmers to have a chance aswell.. Not a chance of winning anything in fresstyle? Try breaststroke or backstroke.. It's a paralympic principle.. Giving people that are not good enougg to be the fastest or strongest another chance..

Same even could be said about women events, why do they have their own events? Because we all know men are faster and stronger, and women wouldn't stand a chance.. But I'm willing to compromise on that and let the women have their own events.. So we can speak of the fastest and strongest men, and women on the planet.. The men will always be the fastest and strongest humans though..

About swimming, freestyle means you can do whatever you want, if you think breaststroke is faster, go ahead do it.. You could go underwater, I don't care.. It's about getting from point A to B the fastest, simple that, and how you do it is your choice.. Who's the fastest swimmer over 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, etc..

Same goes for running and bassicly all other sports.. Cut the bullshit restricting dicilines to give the less fast and strong a chance aswell.. Like I said, what's next? Basketball or volleyball for people under 1.75m to give those people a chance aswell of winning an Olympic title??

Makes sense.

I really wish show-jumping wasn't an Olympic though. The horse is the athlete, not the rider.

The fact that Equestrian is the only Olympic dicipline where men and women do compete together says enough..Why don't we add swimiing with only arms or added flippers to the feet? That requires different techniques aswell..

I'm talking about going back to basic herorics instead of having 312 Olympic champions with many in the same sports.. Like I said, it's bullsh*t that we have 13 Olympic boxing champions now.. There should only be 2, one man and one woman..

Back in 1896 when the Olympics starded there were only 3 swimming events.. How many do we have now? 40+? No wonder 1 person can win 8 medals now..

The more medals the less each one means.. Who can name 50 Olympic champions out of the 312 from Beijing? Nobody can, because there's way to many to remember..

The modern Olympic Games are fun entertainment, a good marketing tool, and can actually help to bring a little bit more understanding in the world among nations and people in general.. I agree with that.. But about pure heroric sports is not anymore, there's to many added bullsh*t to make it more entertaining and financial more interesting for more countries..

Just focus on the events you like then.

That's what's going on already.. We probably only remember our medals like any other country that's in the top 20 of the medallist will focus just on theirs..

Only a few exceptions.. People like Phelps and Bolt (I can't remember others tbh) because they got so much media attention.. The rest will be forgotten in the mass of 312 champions in total, which is sad.. Like I said the more medals the less each one means.. What does it mean to be Olympic boxing champion when there are 12 others??

Phelps is not a geater champion to me then someone who wins a single event for the 3rd time in a row on the Olympic games (I remember a British rower who won 5 times in a row, now that's legendary).. He's just lucky his sport has so many different events he can compete in.. Many other sports do not have that, so it's not a fair competition to start with to call him geater then others..

We should only have one event then: Shawn Johnson doing the splits.

Gold!

How can you say that?
Do you realize how many times he had to swim and how unorthodox it is for a swimmer to compete in so many (all the heats and finals together)? Or what little time he had between events?
Most of those events he was winning for a second time, and he'll probably win them a third time in London in 4 years
No athlete could have competed in so many events the way he did, nor has there ever been an athlete that could

He's by far the best allround swimmer at this moment of time, I'll give him that, but like I said to judge him just on the ammount of medals is not fair compared to the many other great athletes that compete in sports that simply do not have near as many events to compete in.. Plus he's lucky to be from a country that has enough other topclass swimmers so he could get 3 gold medals in relays aswell..

Not saying he isn't great, he is, like you said it's amazing he can compete in so many swimming events, win them all, and beat many worldrecords doing it aswell.. But the statement that he's the greatest athlete of all time compared to all others is simply not really fair imho..

He's the greatest athlete in that discipline and let's leave it at that.

Now, what you suggest of going to "basics" is just wrong. I mean, I kind of get what you mean, but like Acert said, it takes different skills to compete in those slightly different events. Your example of flippers and I don't know what else you came up with is ridiculous, does not go.

That is like saying everyone should be a math or english/language major, every other field is just there for the incapable to be able to accomplish something. NOT. Very ridiculous idea.

Going back to agreeing with you, equestrians is just an awful discipline.

Phelpsy (yes, I call him 'Phelpsy') was in London today for the celebrations. Yes, that's right Phelpsy, come to the dark side...

Michael Phelps - Team GB.

He's just there for Elizabeth Hurley



After that he'll be back :)

Let's be honest, we're all here for Elizabeth Hurley.

*Growls towards Hurley*
*Scares her off*

Darn. I swear that works on the Discovery Channel.

Haha good answer :)

I believe she's one of the most attractive women in history, but that's an entirely different discussion altogether.

And you don't think butterfly (or any of the other stroke) is not rediculous when you could just do freestyle which is the fastest (and easiest besides breaststroke)?

Who came up with a stroke like the butterfly anyway? I played waterpolo for many years myself and I always hated that stroke in training.. It's way to hard and inefficient..

And you don't think the walking events looks retarted aswell? I mean, who came up with that sh*t? It's running with always having to touch the ground.. It's not only a retared idea, it looks retared aswell..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M8RU6I3fZM

Adding flippers or in the opposite restricting the use of legs in swimming doesn't sound so bad when you look at all these equally stupid events that enforce all kinds of restrictions and rules on true basic sports.. It's all the same principle when you think about it.. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSP8JSvbwQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKnxKHASonA

How long before they add this to the Olympic sports? At least it looks cool (enormous speed).. ;)

Well we agree on many things I believe, I also agree that walking/racing is and looks retarded.