Who is the best?

Jesse Owens, for sticking his big black finger up Hitler's nose and into his eye.

Aussie or overall?

Overall Michael Phelps (lots medals) or Usain Bolt as he has less but they're all gold!!!
Both are amazing


Aussie: Thorpie or Dawn Fraser
The latter should have been lighting the flame at the Sydney Olympics, not the politically correct choice

Certainly not anyone from Russia China etc, bred to perform and dosed up

Select to expand quote

Mastbender said..
Jesse Owens, for sticking his big black finger up Hitler's nose and into his eye.

Apparently Hitler was perfectly civil to Jesse Owens. Roosevelt was the one who would not acknowledge him.

Talk about a can of worms question.

How do you define 'the best'?

Number of medals....Phelps, clearly.
Longevity? Sir Steven Redgrave maybe. 5 consecutive Olympics with gold in 5 consecutive Olympics.
Entertainment and overall awesomeness? Bolt....but unfortunately for me there will always be a question mark on if he is clean (and I REALLY hope he is)
Freakish ability? Emil Zatopek. Won gold in the 5000 and then the 10,000m at Helsinki and then thought what the hell, I'll enter the marathon....yep, won that too. A feat never again replicated nor possibly ever will be.
Nadia Comenici....the first perfect 10 in Gymnastics. They had to change the scoring because of her. Now it is not possible to attain a perfect score.
Muhammad Ali....well, he was the self proclaimed 'THE GREATEST', and don't forget, he was an Olympian.

I don't think you could ever come up with 'the best' Olympian ever. Too many variables. Too many events with stand out athletes that in their own rights have achieved 'the best' status.
If I made the Olympics I would have said I was the best

Stephen Bradbury or Eddie the Eagle, take your pick??

Jamaican bobsled team.

Myusername: "Lol. I got wrong sally. Usain bolt by far. Fastest man. Premier race. Swimming is nowhere near on par"

I may have to agree when you add in how many babes you can score after the Olympics have concluded.
I don't think Bolt has left even yet, he keeps scoring more and more babes. He keeps getting his gold medals shined.
His supposed girlfriend back home has got to be pissed.

One from left field..Daley Thomson. I loved watching him when I was younger, but seriously, Phelps first daylight second. You only have to see how many world champions and "favorites" Australia had going into the swimming but doing it on the day makes a champion. And he did that time and time again, no excuses.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daley_Thompson

I'd vote for nearly all the female beach volleyball teams,

Select to expand quote

NewScotty said..

aribenasher said...
I believe it is Mark Spitz simply because of his unprecedented domination in swimming in 1972 at the Munich games, the undoubted star of the games then and a feat still deserving of admiration today. While his 7 gold medal record was surpassed by Michael Phelps (2008 Beijing), remember Spitz swam with a moustache, (possible handicap) and really was a superstar in swimming like had never been seen before with so much depth of talent in many events in the pool. A nine-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in seven events. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Spitz set new world records in all seven events in which he competed in 1972. Between 1968 and 1972, Spitz won nine Olympic golds, a silver, and a bronze; five Pan American golds; 31 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) titles; and eight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles. During those years, he set 35 world records, but two were in trials and unofficial.He was named World Swimmer of the Year in 1969, 1971, and 1972 by Swimming World Magazine. A truly outstanding athlete.

How could you put Spitz ahead of Phelps ?
Phelps achieved double that of Spitz.

I respect your opinion however and don't really diminish the total magnificence of Phelps achievement. It is just my opinion is different to yours and there is no real correct answer to the question of who is the best Olympian as each era is different. My opinion is coloured by my memories of the 1972 games that is stamped on my impressionable mind as a young boy watching the TV and reading the news. We need to note that Mark Spitz retired at 23 and didn't do anymore Olympics afterward, whereas Phelps swam into his 30s. The double achievement of Mr Phelps, as impressive and spectacular as it is, needs to be looked at in that context. I am sure Phelps regards Mr Spitz as being his inspiration for the achievements. That said we need to remember that today swimmers are professional and that there is much more money in swimming today and back in 1972 they were amateurs. That impacts the intensity too.Who knows what with the money today and the better training and intensity what Spitz could have done. We will never know. Phelps may be better but I prefer Spitz.